Masonic Temple
California Masonic Memorial Temple
San Francisco, California

In 1957, American artist Emile Norman completed his largest art piece: a 38-feet-tall by 48-feet-wide, decorative mural window consisting of 45 acrylic panels in five vertical and nine horizontal rows. The panel assemblies consist of two acrylic sheets, one slightly textured, the other clear, with a design layer of small pieces of colored acrylic glass and other materials sandwiched between. Panel deterioration included cracks, admittance of dirt and moisture, delamination and discoloration, and adhesive failure between panels causing the design layer to fall from its original position.

ARG surveyed the deteriorating mural and made recommendations to lengthen its life. Conservation efforts involved removal of each panel from its frame to allow conservators to restore the displaced design material, treatment of the discoloration and delamination, and reinstallation into original positions.