An Osprey moves in on top of The Bronx Victory Memorial #birdbx #thebronx in Pelham Bay Park as conservationists gaze.
Perched atop a 75-foot limestone Corinthian column in Pelham Bay Park in New York City The Bronx, is a gilded bronze victory figure. Designed by architect John J. Sheridan and sculptors Belle Kinney and Leopold Scholz, this site was dedicated to World War I servicemen from The Bronx in 1933.
In addition to the victory figure’s gold leaf exterior disappearing almost entirely, the memorial had long been subject to effects of weathering, vandalism, and structural issues.
We were contracted to perform an assessment of the memorial and to develop and oversee a plan for its removal, conservation, and reinstallation of the bronze. We also oversaw the treatment of the stonework by removing the cement-wash coating, cleaning, replacing/repairing damaged stonework, and repointing the memorial.
Once fully cleaned and rid of surface corrosion, the victory figure received two layers of gold leaf coating. Finally, the figure was hoisted and transported back to the site where it was reinstated atop its base.
Ospreys are very large, distinctively shaped hawks. Despite their size, their bodies are slender, with long, narrow wings and long legs. Ospreys fly with a marked kink in their wings, making an M-shape when seen from below.