Welcome to the premiere issue of the Canning Chronicles. It has been sent to you because we thought you'd be interested in these restoration topics and/or because you asked us to.

The Canning Chronicles is a new monthly e-newsletter bringing you information about architectural restoration and conservation projects, techniques, individuals, organizations and events around the country and around the world. This e-publication is authored by the professionals at John Canning Painting & Conservation Studios, Cheshire, CT - a leader in preserving the fine art of restoration.

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John Canning Painting & Conservation Studios was chosen by architect Daniel R. Peloquin, RA of Woonsocket to restore the auditorium of the 1926 Stadium Theatre. When John Canning and Dave Riccio walked into the Stadium Theatre for the first time, they saw nothing but beige. All of the intricate decoration had been painted over, the plaster pilasters were disintegrating, and the once bright and lively auditorium was dingy and dull. This was the last -- and largest -- element of the theatre's restoration plan. The room is a classic stadium design measuring 120 feet long by 90 feet wide with a seating capacity of about 1500.

Canning Studios artists referred to the extensive historic documentation of the interior to piece together design, ornamentation and color palettes. Carefully uncovering evidence of the original designs, they painstakingly recreated each pattern, motif, and portrait, reinstating these elements using artists' oils and painting in the adamesque style of the originals. The plaster was consolidated and repaired, and the proscenium gilded to its glorious former appearance.

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John Canning and daughter Jackie Riccio had the honor of participating in the 35th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival held on the National Mall in Washington, DC in July 2001.

Over the course of four days, John and Jackie demonstrated the intricate phases of two decorative painting techniques. John chose the nearly lost art of wood graining using traditional methods and materials. Jackie chose to replicate the freehand painted scroll design used in the Soloman P. Chase Suite of the U.S. Treasury Building which Canning Studios restored in 1992.

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Each month the Canning Chronicles will use the Thistle Award section to recognize individuals, organizations, and foundations dedicated to, and taking a leading role in historic preservation and conservation. From grass roots citizens banding together to save a building from destruction to the most accomplished professionals in the preservation fields, our goal is to prove time and again that our historic built environment is secure only because people are willing to protect and preserve it.

This recognition is a way of saying thank you for a job well done that will hopefully inspire others to get involved in local preservation efforts.

We invite you to submit nominations, background information on the nominee(s), and contact information here.

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July 2001: The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) 25th Annual Conference and Theatre Tour was held in New York City. The four-day conference included tours of restored Broadway and 42nd Street theatres and culminated with a panel discussion by principals of the firms responsible for the restoration of Radio City Music Hall followed by an informative tour. John Canning participated in the panel discussing the general design integrity of the theatre and elaborating on the historic importance of the space. Canning Studios performed all of the metal leafing and glazing at the theatre - a total of over 90,000 square feet.

October 26-28: 5th Annual International Preservation Trades Workshop (IPTW) "Partners in Preservation" to be held at Floyd Bennett Field, Jamaica Bay Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn, NY.

When restoring the Sky Mural and Grand Central Terminal in NYC, Canning Studios artists uncovered notes, messages, and signatures of the workers who reinstated the mural in 1944.

Weddings, births, soldiers returning from war, and, most notably, the end of World War II are all chronicled among the constellations, and remain untouched.

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