A pair of
vestibule doors in the 3800 block of Walnut Street suffered a bit of abuse
over the years as an off-campus residence for University of Pennsylvania
students. The doors were in bad shape
and the panels (18” X 72”) had some bowing and breakage and a few
missing pieces of glass. Mark at Realty
World Realtors, which manages the building, asked Gary to repair the doors. Realty World employees brought the doors to
Gary’s
studio and picked them up when repairs were finished.
Gary removed the panels
and cleaned them. The came is zinc
(stronger than lead and more difficult to work). The glass strips are a 3-rib-per-inch
Victorian glass (which is no longer made), and about 50 were broken and a few
missing. The glass bevels are
gorgeous and all are present. Gary cut and replaced
glass strips from antique glass salvage pieces in his studio. The panels were then soldered on both sides
where needed, cemented on both sides, and replaced in their doors. Gary
reconditioned the doors by cleaning, gluing and clamping, and using
reinforcing bolts where necessary.
