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Cannon Light Fixture Restoration

While light fixtures are like jewelry to a room, they can also set a tone for the significance of the space. Naturally, they also provide illumination to enable work and safe movement.
By Aimee Jorjani | September 27, 2022
        
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    The Caucus Room chandelier, a prominent feature of the space, can be seen in original photos dating to 1908.

The Caucus Room chandelier, a prominent feature of the space, can be seen in original photos dating to 1908.

In both function and form, many fixtures now shine more brightly and run more efficiently in the Cannon House Office Building. As part of a broader effort complementing the Cannon Renewal Project, the effort to restore and renew, and in some cases, reproduce, many of the historic or existing lighting fixtures gracefully reilluminates the building's Beaux Arts civic architecture, its marble and its offices.

At a time when less than half of the nation's homes had electricity, the Cannon Building and its light fixtures were electrified when it opened in 1908. Before electricity was considered a modern necessity, the lighting design was integrated directly into the construction of the building.

Many early-20th-century light fixtures were made of brass, including those within the Cannon Building. While such fixtures are typically finished with a coat of lacquer that provides both shine and corrosion protection, much of the lacquer had worn off and the brass had aged and collected grime.

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    Original sconces outline both the Caucus and Homeland Security hearing rooms.

Original sconces outline both the Caucus and Homeland Security hearing rooms.After many decades of continuous use, the need for off-site restoration and deep cleaning required the careful disassembly of the fixtures' many components. Skilled workers carefully documented the disassembly to ensure the complex fixtures could be restored to their original form. This meticulous task is fundamental for the intricate crystal chandeliers found in more significant spaces within the Cannon Building.

Preservation treatment begins with modest efforts of repair and cleaning. Some fixtures required more intensive restoration of damaged features. Ultimately, the restoration effort incorporates both respect for the historic features while also addressing the goal of meeting current and future lighting needs. Those needs posed additional challenges as they required historic fixtures to be retrofitted to incorporate state-of-the-art dimming system technology in hearing rooms, Member suites and corridors. The results of this modern-day requirement truly shine.

Outdoor fixtures near entrances of the building were also restored. Metal components were gently cleaned of residue to keep the original patina intact. The lights were completely rewired using the highest-quality, UL-approved wire. Glass shades were reproduced, replacing plastic elements used for earlier repairs.

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    New dimmable LED components support energy efficiency goals.

New dimmable LED components support energy efficiency goals.Ceiling-mounted corridor lighting added during the 1930s — the Cannon Building's defining decade — has been renewed. Each of these lights, which ring the rotunda, are comprised of a brass mount with a single, sanded glass globe. These fixtures were removed, disassembled and documented. Where necessary, existing lacquer coatings were removed as well as decades of paint spatter. Brass components were gently cleaned, ridding them of dust and residue before receiving between one and three coats of lacquer containing tarnish inhibitors. As existing wiring conditions varied among fixtures, all interior corridor lighting has been completely rewired using UL-listed components along with added LED components that include dimming capabilities to support energy efficiency goals. A similar effort restored single light sconces within stairwells and walls.

Some fixtures required the partial reconstruction of missing features to bring back lost details. Workers involved have skills, including glassblowing, to fabricate shades that include clear, frosted, opal, etched glass or crystal. Glass is repaired or reconstructed using a combination of magnification, lights and adhesive. Lighted magnification allows the skilled technician to see all aspects of damage and identify cracks and breaks in the glass shades. Damage is repaired using a fast-curing ultraviolet adhesive that dries clear and heals cracks.

Traditional glassblowing trades are used to fabricate custom replacement shades. A composition of sand, sodium carbonate lime and dolomite is heated to 1,675 degrees Celsius to a melted liquid that can be poured into molds. Once ready, the blower will gather a "gob" of molten glass with a hollow steel pipe. The gob is lowered into a mold as the glassblower blows into the pipe while turning the gob. The finished component is then placed in an annealing oven for two to four hours. Any missing metal elements of a fixture are recast and fabricated for reproduction.

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    White brass with crystal prisms and blown glass can be seen hanging from the Homeland Security hearing room.

White brass with crystal prisms and blown glass can be seen hanging from the Homeland Security hearing room.For more character-defining features such as the Homeland Security committee room's polished white brass crystal chandelier, the glass globes were carefully removed, partially disassembled and wrapped for safe transport off-site to be completely disassembled. Each piece was then repinned by hand using new brass hangers and all the crystal was carefully cleaned. The metal components were stripped, cleaned and lacquered. Once rewired, the fixtures were then partially assembled, packaged, transported, installed and dressed on-site. All fixtures use LED energy efficient bulbs throughout the renewed spaces.

Each fixture is returned to exactly where it came from, including those within Member offices. The importance of the Architect of the Capitol's effort to maintain, clean, update and refabricate broken pieces will ensure continued use for another 50 to 100 years. Throughout the Cannon Building, these light fixtures contribute to and represent our nation's history. If only they could speak to all they witnessed through the decades.
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MICHAEL LILLY (not verified)PermalinkSeptember 27, 2022 - 5:38pmI hope this is a continuing project, with more photos to share with us.
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