An outdoor sculpture comes clean Posted on September 21, 2015 at 12:00 am.Written by Kristina Smith An outdoor sculpture comes clean, with help from the expert conservators at Biltmore. “From the iconic marble lions in front of Biltmore House to terra cotta figures, bronzes, and more, the estate features 37 pieces of outdoor sculpture and historic plaques,” said Kara Warren, Preventive Conservation Specialist. One of the two grand marble lion sculptures that guard the Front Door of Biltmore House According to Kara, each piece of outdoor sculpture is carefully examined and photographed every six months to determine its “health” and what type of cleaning, stabilization, or repairs might be needed. There are four sphinx sculptures atop stone pillars guarding the massive iron entry and exit gates through which guests pass to get their first glimpse of Biltmore House. The sphinx appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology as a creature with a human head and torso–usually female–and the hindquarters of a lion. Egypt’s massive Great Sphinx of Giza sculpture is probably the best-known example in the world. The following photos illustrate how important Biltmore’s process is and what a difference cleaning and preservation make: This elegant sphinx guards the right side of the iron gates adjacent to Biltmore House This sphinx is turned as if to watch the Approach Road while the sphinx on the opposite side of the gates looks toward Biltmore House. The sculpture was in need of a thorough cleansing to rid it of biological growth. Scaffolding was built around the sphinx so our conservators could clean it in place. Conservators carefully cleaned half of the sphinx to show a remarkable difference Biltmore’s preservation experts worked on half of the sculpture at a time to illustrate different stages of the cleaning process. Note how much detail is revealed when the dark biological growth was removed from the hindquarters of this sphinx. The sphinx sculpture cleaned and restored to her full glory After a thorough cleaning, the classic sphinx sculpture once again welcomes guests to Biltmore House in regal style. Learn more about our extensive process to document, clean, and preserve our outdoor sculpture collection.
Preserving Generations of Biltmore China and Crystal Posted on August 17, 2015 at 12:00 am.Written by Jean Sexton Preserving generations of Biltmore china and crystal is a delicate job. If you have fine china or crystal handed down in your family, you can imagine the care it takes to clean and preserve all the fragile place settings and glassware in the Biltmore collection! Generations of fragile china and crystal Gevevieve Bieniosek opens the china cabinet in the Butler’s Pantry There are three generations of china and crystal stored in Biltmore House, and much of it is more than 100 years old. These fragile pieces of the collection are stored in glass-front cabinets in the two-story Butler’s Pantry, and a comprehensive inventory system helps our conservators keep track of each object. A unique identification number is assigned to every dish and glass, the location of the piece is recorded, and a digital photo of it is included in an inventory database. Genevieve cleans saucers that bear George Vanderbilt’s monogram, while the floral patterned plates on the left were chosen by Vanderbilt’s grandson, William A.V. Cecil, for Biltmore’s centennial celebration in 1995 Cleaning all the china and crystal in the Butler’s Pantry is a process that takes several weeks to complete. Each piece is dusted, wiped with a mixture of ethanol and water, and dried with lint-free cloths. All the objects are inspected for unstable cracks. “Most of the cleaning and dusting is done in the Butler’s Pantry, because the less we move such fragile pieces, the better,” said Genevieve Bieniosek, Furniture Conservator. Preventing problems Delicate crystal glassware with George Vanderbilt’s monogram in the Butler’s Pantry During a recent cleaning project, the conservators noticed that some of the crystal on display was suffering from ‘glass disease.’ According to Genevieve, this is a condition where components in the glass structure leach out over time, causing the glass to appear cloudy. “If left untreated,” Genevieve explained, “it will eventually create a fine network of cracks over the piece.” The glasses were treated by washing them with mild soap and water, drying them with soft towels, and letting them air dry for several hours. “By treating them now, we avoid permanent damage from the glass disease,” said Genevieve. Improving the process of storing crystal and china This fluted cup and saucer bear Cornelia Vanderbilt’s monogram In addition to careful cleaning of these fragile pieces, our conservators are always looking for ways to improve the overall process for preserving the china and crystal. “We recently looked into different types of padding material to keep the china safer, and placed sheets of polyethylene foam between each dish. The material is very stable, so the sheets don’t break down and create chemicals that could harm the china,” noted Genevieve. Take a behind-the-scenes guided tour The Butler’s Pantry, as seen on The Biltmore House Backstairs Tour Plan a visit to America’s Largest Home today, and treat yourself to The Biltmore House Backstairs Tour. You’ll experience an in-depth look at servant life at Biltmore with this 60-minute guided tour, including rarely-seen areas such as the Butler’s Pantry as you hear fascinating stories of those who worked and lived on the estate in the Vanderbilts’ era. Featured blog image: Biltmore conservators Genevieve Bieniosek and Renee Jolly clean china and crystal in the Butler’s Pantry of Biltmore House
National Historic Landmark Designation Illustrates U.S. Heritage Posted on May 1, 2015 at 12:00 am.Written by Jean Sexton Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina was officially nominated as a National Historic Landmark on May 23, 1963. The original landmark designation was based on the theme “Conservation of Natural Resources.” The description for Biltmore was: At Biltmore, the George W. Vanderbilt estate near Asheville, Gifford Pinchot demonstrated for the first time in the United States that scientific forest management could be profitable and was, thus, good business practice. Another ‘first’ in forestry occurred here in 1898 when the first forestry school in the United States was opened, the Biltmore Forest School, headed by Dr. Carl A. Schenck. Nearly 87,000 acres of the estate’s forest land is now included in Pisgah National Forest. The building in which the school was conducted is owned by the city of Asheville and used today for offices. Dr. Carl A. Schenck with Biltmore Forest School students, 1900. Image courtesy of National Forests of North Carolina Historic Photographs, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC. Beginning in 2000, Biltmore began an effort to expand the landmark designation beyond conservation to include the themes of architecture, landscape architecture, and social history, and to extend the period of significance to 1950 to include the contributions of Chauncey Beadle, estate superintendent, and improvements and significance of the Biltmore Dairy during those years. The Secretary of the Interior approved this expansion on April 5, 2005. Estate Superintendent Chauncey Beadle, 1948 Bill Alexander, Biltmore’s former landscape and forest historian and participant in the five-year project of gathering additional documentation for the expanded designation, said that Biltmore has to submit periodic reports to the National Park Service to describe any changes occurring to the property, including natural disasters and damage such as the floods and tree loss caused by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan in 2005. He also noted that the building referenced in the original nomination is located in Biltmore Village. “The office building at 1 Biltmore Plaza was where the Biltmore Forest School held its fall and winter classes for a number of years,” Bill said. “It was the first new, permanent structure completed in Biltmore Village after George Vanderbilt purchased the village in 1894, followed by the passenger train depot in 1895 and All Souls Church in 1896, all designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt.” 1 Biltmore Plaza in Biltmore Village, 1895 “Biltmore sold the office building to the City of Asheville in 1929, and leased the downstairs for corporate offices while the upstairs was used as a substation of the Asheville Fire Department.” Biltmore eventually repurchased the building and currently uses it for office space. The National Park Service lists more than 2,500 historic properties “that illustrate the heritage of the United States.” National Historic Landmarks include historic buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts, with each landmark representing an outstanding aspect of American history and culture. Plan your visit to Biltmore today and enjoy the splendor of this National Historic Landmark.