The fixture, which features 8 large glass panels, each consisting of several smaller panels, had begun to bend and suffer light leaks. Several of the glass panels had chipped or cracked and needed to be repaired or replaced.
To begin the process of restoring the fixture,each brittle glass panel had to be carefully removed from the frame. Each individual panel was then re-slumped in a handmade mold to allow the panels to fit more correctly in the frame.
In addition, new panels were slumped to replace those that had been damaged. The edges of each glass piece were then wrapped with adhesive copper tape, and soldered together along adjacent copper strips.
To prevent the newly reconstructed glass panels from slipping out of place as they had done in the past, glass retaining brackets were constructed out of copper and then attached towards the bottom of the frame, where the tip of the glass panels meet.
Light-leak shields have been constructed out of lead and will be nested in between the frame and each glass panel. The finish of the fixture's frame has been cleaned and retouched.
Once the fixture has been fully reassembled and rewired in accordance with UL standards, it will undergo hi-pot testing and be reinstalled at the Shubert Theater in time for their fall season.
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About Grand Light:
Grand Light has restored, replicated and manufactured custom lighting fixtures at every scale, including various projects at Yale University, the Lincoln Square Theater in Decatur, IL., The Otesaga Resort and Hotel in Cooperstown, NY., The Shubert Theater in New Haven, CT., and other prestigious projects nation wide.
Located at 580 Grand Avenue, New Haven, Conn., Grand Light has been serving the interior and exterior lighting needs of homeowners and professionals since 1929.
U.S. Gov't C.C.R. registered company.
