Abstract
In the 1860s Charles Summers, a sculptor living in Melbourne, won a competition to produce a public monument to the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition. Such was Summers’ enthusiasm for the project that he decided to cast the double life-size figures in his Collins Street studio in the centre ofthe Melbourne Central Business District (CBD).The memorial has been moved five times since its original unveiling in 1865. Its last home, sited above a chemically-treated water feature, had caused extensive damage to the surface of the casting.In May 1993, the conservation treatment of this bronze memorial began. This paper traces the memorial’s history, that of the sculptor Charles Summers, and the inception of the sculpture. It also discusses the conservation treatment and how the unique marriage of conservation science and foundry technology made such a treatment so successful.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
