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Great care taken in Hoover plaque's restoration

Sculptor's grandson pleased that North Canton will preserve WWII tribute

By Bill Lilley
Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008

LOUISVILLE: The Hoover Co. World War II memorial plaque hung on the wall outside Building Two of the Main Plant on Maple Street in downtown North Canton last fall, apparently headed to the same fate as its once-proud parent company.

The 6-foot wide by 7-foot tall plaque with the 834 names of Hoover employees who served in World War II was nearly forgotten as it was hidden by three generations of tree growth.

The bronze plaque initially turned green, then black, after decades of neglect.

The plaque was created by renowned American art-deco sculptor Rene Paul Chambellan in his in-home studio in Cliffside, N.J., shortly after World War II. He was widely recognized as a leading architectural sculptor and designer.

Bob Perrone, Chambellan's grandson, believes the bas relief panel at the top of the plaque was one of the last works produced by Chambellan, who worked from his home following a series of heart attacks.

Perrone said the plaque was probably created and cast at a foundry in 1947 — ''My grandfather was famous for how quickly he worked,'' Perrone said — and then was dedicated July 3, 1947. Chambellan died in 1955.

''I know that my grandfather would be so grateful for the restoration work as well as the continued commitment to honoring our veterans,'' Perrone said.

''He was a very patriotic man and a large body of his work was dedicated to designing timeless sculptures and plaques based upon the need to remember those that have sacrificed for our country and freedom in general.

''I know that he will be looking down and smiling during the ceremony.''

The best guess is that the plaque has had restoration work twice in the past 61 years before being taken down in December.

''The second time it was cleaned, the chemicals had a bad reaction and it started turning colors — it went to a greenish black. And it was getting more black all the time,'' said Jim Repace, president of the union that represents Hoover employees and a member of the Hoover World War II Memorial Committee. ''It was a real mess. And that was a real shame, considering what the plaque stood for.''

The process to restore the plaque, which is estimated to weigh more than 1,000 pounds, began in December when ironworkers from Selinsky Brothers Inc. used a forklift to remove the plaque from the brick wall.

Coon Restoration and Sealants Inc. had a crew transport the memorial to its headquarters on state Route 44 in Louisville.

''The plaque was so big and so heavy that we had to send a crew of eight big boys — and I mean big farm boys — out there to bring it back safely,'' said Steve Coon, whose company does restoration work throughout the United States.

Coon said a special giant re-enforced wooden cart that is 9 feet long was constructed to hold the plaque on its side in a climate-controlled area of the Coon building.

''The most important thing was to get the plaque out of the elements,'' said Coon, who began working in restoration in 1976 while a student at Louisville High School. ''We had to get it into a controlled environment so that the chemicals would respond as they are supposed to.''

Technicians then welded stainless-steel plates on the back of the plaque to stabilize it. They also made new rods to serve as anchor bolts to attach it to the Hoover Veterans Memorial wall in Bitzer Park.

Chemist Pauline Phang was brought in to conduct testing of chemicals on the plaque.

''The most important thing she does is to tell us what chemicals we can't use,'' Coon said. ''That way, we do not run the risk of damaging the plaque.

The plaque is cleaned, then stripped, neutralized, hand cleaned and a two-part sealer is applied.

The entire process took more than three months and involved more than 100 hours.

''It's a very expensive process because it's so labor intense,'' Coon said. ''The plaque has been transformed from what you would call a mess to its original beauty.''

Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.

LOUISVILLE: The Hoover Co. World War II memorial plaque hung on the wall outside Building Two of the Main Plant on Maple Street in downtown North Canton last fall, apparently headed to the same fate as its once-proud parent company.

Get the full article here.


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