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Restoration of Historic Buildings, Artwork, and Finishes

The Dalles Civic Auditorium was resurrected from total disrepair by a loyal group of private citizens, who hired Mary McMurray of ART FIRST to direct the interior design, selection of appropriate materials, and period-specific colors.   The Grand Ballroom, before and after.
The Fireside Room, before and after

	The Main Lodge For Thunderbird Lodge, an important Lake Tahoe treasure, ART FIRST' provided the microscopic paint analysis to discover the original interior and exterior finishes, as well as on-site consultation for re-creating the original stains and glazes for the interior woodwork, which had been painted over by the Lodge's second owner. "The National Park Service defines restoration as: The act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period in time by means of the removal of features from other periods in history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. The Thunderbird Lodge is one of the last and best examples of a great residential estate on Lake Tahoe from the period in which prominent San Francisco society built homes on the lake. In addition to the main house, there is a Card House, Caretaker's Cottage, the Cook/Butler's House, an elephant house, the Admiral's House, the Boathouse with adjoining 600' tunnel, and Gatehouse. The Thunderbird Lodge is an example of an approach to architectural design that is intended to be in harmony with its setting. The siting, design and materials of the buildings, landscape features, walls, paths and driveway are a result of this design philosophy. The Lodge represents a high level of expertise in building crafts, stone masonry, iron work and wood work. Examples of this craftsmanship are evident in the buildings, tunnel, walls, steps and fountains. The Lodge is also an example of the work of Frederic J. DeLongchamps, who served as Nevada's State Architect and was Nevada's most prominent architect of his era."
The Card House
Text © 2004 Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society. For more details see www.thunderbirdlodge.org	"George Whittell was born in 1881 in San Francisco. Numerous legends surround Whittell's activities at his Lake Tahoe estate, including colorful parties and high-stakes gambling in the card house. The eccentric Whittell collected a veritable zoo of wild animals that made guest appearances at the Thunderbird Lodge each summer. Lake Tahoe was selected as the site of Whittell's new home because of the natural beauty and remote character of this alpine basin. At the time, Whittell owned 40,000 acres and 24 miles of Nevada shoreline at Lake Tahoe. The resulting Thunderbird Lodge includes elaborate tree and granite boulder filled grounds with fountains, waterfalls, staircases, and paths. A 600-foot tunnel carved through solid granite connects the main lodge with the card house and the boathouse, home to his famous yacht, Thunderbird. The Thunderbird Lodge was added to the national register of Historic Places in 2000, and is open to the public for guided tours in the summer months."

The Flavel House Museum, Astoria The Flavel House Museum in Astoria, Oregon. Re-painting of the original paint colors, as determined by microscopic analysis by Art First.

ABOUT THE EXTERIOR The Queen Anne-style, popular from 1880 to 1910, was characterized by a steeply pitched roof of irregular shape; patterned shingles, cutaway bay windows, and other devices used to avoid a smooth-walled appearance; round, square, or polygonal towers; and an asymmetrical facade with a partial or full-width porch - usually one story high and often extended along one or both side walls. The house also displays characteristics of the Stick and Italianate styles such as the vertical stickwork, the bracketed eaves, and the hooded moulding above the windows and doors. The roof and verandas are crowned by the original decorative wrought iron cresting. In 1896, the house was painted white with red trim to acquire the "Colonial Revival" look which had just gained popularity in the western states. The house remained white until 1984 when, for its centennial, the house was painted in a late Victorian color scheme - antique gold with olive green and chocolate brown trims. In 1999 a paint analysis on the exterior of the Flavel House revealed its original 1885 colors of putty for the body, buck-skin for the trim, merlot for the sashes and decorative details, and gold for the highlights. Today the house proudly displays its authentic colors.

the Flavel House before restoration

Art expert restores school mural	By STEVE KADEL News staff writer
Mary McMurray of Portand is restoring Hood River Middle School's 70-year old mural. Photo by Steve Kadel	A mural spans Hood River Middle School's auditorium like a colorful history book telling the story of Hood River County.  Painted as a gift in 1928 by local artist Percy Manser, its scenes show Hispanic workers in an orchard and a contemplative Native American with back turned to white settlers rolling by in a covered wagon. But like Hood River County itself, the mural has aged over the years. Water damage from heavy rainstorms, as well as the simple pas sage of time, has taken a toll.  There are cracks. Plaster has even crumbled in some places.  This week, though, the mural doctor is putting Hood River Middle School's prize back together.  Mary McMurray of Portland is painstakingly restoring the mural. Working from photographs, she carefully dabs a little brown paint here, some blue there, in an effort to make things look just like they did when Manser finished the mural 70 years ago.  "He was really a good artist," McMurray said during a break on Wednesday.  She did her homework before beginning. She knows the way Manser mixed colors, and even the hues he used in his era.
That kind of artistic detective work is McMurray's forte. With an art degree from Cornell University, including a minor in art history, she's now a consultant who helps interior designers and architects coordinate color schemes.  She also studies microscopic paint samples from historic buildings to replicate the original color for repainting. She's worked on churches, businesses and homes in Portland.  McMurray also recommends custom colors for newer buildings that don't have particular historic value.  She considers the building's age and architectural style. Even the exterior light direction plays a part in determining the best color scheme. Light tends to be more blue when it comes from the north, and yelIower when it comes from the south, she said.  Now she's breathing life back into Manser's work. Hood River Middle School Principal Bob Dais has spent two years planning the restoration.  "It's a centerpiece of the community," he said of the mural.  The mural restoration will cost $15,000 to $17,000.	Funding is provided through Hood River County School District's capital budget, and some insurance money received for the storm damage.  That project is just part of the school's up grading of its auditorium. By summer, Dais hopes to replace the panes in nine large windows to make the auditorium much brighter than it has been.  New stage curtains also will be added. But Manser's mural is the auditorium's focus. Its images not only reflect the county's history, but the artwork allows lots of interpretation, Dais said.  McMurray is concentrating on the mural's content-as well as her brush strokes-while applying the four or five coats of paint needed to complete the job.  "I try to get into the mood of what Percy was feeling," she said.

1998  Restoration of 1928 Percy Manser mural at Hood River Middle School Auditorium.

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1996   With Sally Hopkins: restoration and re-stenciling of the Organ Pipes in St. Mary's Cathedral, Portland.   Other selected Restoration Projects: Historically correct colors for the Biltmore Apartments NW Glisan, Portland. Historically correct color design for the 1885 Grand Stable and Carriage Block Buildings, SW Portland. Restoration of plaster decorations, The Meeker Mansion, Puyallup, Washington. Restoration and repainting of 1896 mural in Meeker House, Portland. Member of the Historic Preservation League of Oregon and the Bosco-Milligan Foundation

	above, before
The Bellevue Club, historic Mural Lounge. Hand-mixed colors, painting, and gilding.	See interiors for community buildings

Alameda County Labor Temple. Removed, restored, and relocated the historic 1937 mural Progress Through Labor by Robert Rishell.

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