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Ponsford, Ltd. Has Been Selected Again To Handle The Prestigious Project to Prepare The Monuments At Arlington National Cemetery For Memorial Day Weekend and the 60th Anniversary Of D-Day. Ponsford, Ltd will be conserving 16 Monuments in preparation of the upcoming Holidays.

The preparations include President Taft's Monument, President Kennedy's and 14 others. "It is hard to put into words the pride we have in performing this service," said Gordon Ponsford, Owner and Senior Conservator at Ponsford Ltd., "To be requested every year to do this is an honor and a joy that is impossible to describe."

Tomb of the unknown soldier to be conserved by atlanta area conservation group

Ponsford, Ltd. Selected To Handle Prestigious Project to Prepare Monument for Memorial Day Weekend

Atlanta . . . As families around the country are honoring fallen heroes lost during the war in Iraq, the monument honoring all unknown American soldiers who died in battle will be cleaned and conserved by an Atlanta-area specialist. Ponsford, Ltd., one of the largest conservation and restoration groups in the country, has been selected by Arlington National Cemetery to handle the conservation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in preparation for the upcoming Memorial Day observances.

May 13 –17, 2003, two conservators from Ponsford, Ltd., located in Acworth, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, will conduct the cleaning and restoration of this beloved national monument. This will be the third occasion that Ponsford, Ltd. has been selected to handle this project.

The conservation process involves taking numerous photos of the entire monument to document the surface condition before any work begins. The acid rain in the Washington, D.C. area is unrelenting on the surface of the stone, and organic material that builds up on the surface of the monument can lead to the deterioration of the finish. The entire surface of the monument is carefully hand-washed using a biocide that will clean away the dirt and kills fungus, algae and moss that grows on monuments. The biocide is rinsed, and any residue left will inhibit continued organic growth for about a year.

“This project is quite meaningful – particularly in light of the recent war in Iraq and the American heroes who lost their lives,” remarks Gordon Ponsford, conservator and owner of Ponsford, Ltd. “The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier reflects every American’s pride in our nation and respect for those who gave their lives to defend it. It is the greatest honor for us to be selected to conserve this monument.” Ponsford and assistant conservator Amanda Kroll will personally handle the restoration process.

In addition to the restoration project on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ponsford, Ltd. has been asked to handle washing and waxing five other monuments and sculptures at Arlington National Cemetery during the May 13 – 17 visit. These include the statue of Field Marshal John Dill (a British soldier honored at Arlington, who like many British soldiers in the war in Iraq, fought alongside Americans), the Space Shuttle Challenger monument, the Major General Philip Kearny sculpture, the Major General Henry Lawton monument, and the Brigadier General Theodore Wint monument. Also, Ponsford, Ltd. will assess 25 other sculptures and monuments for upcoming conservation.

Arlington National Cemetery is visited by 4.5 million people a year, most of whom do not leave without paying their respects to the anonymous men buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (also known as the Tomb of the Unknowns). A Congressional Approval on March 4, 1921, led to the most symbolic funeral in America’s history when a nameless hero who died in WWI was buried atop a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. in Arlington National Cemetery.

The internationally recognized sarcophagus was not erected until some ten years later. Sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones and architect Lorimer Rich created the monument. The marble from which the monument is constructed is known as Yule marble and was quarried in Marble, Colorado. Yule marble is the same material used to create the Lincoln Memorial. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier weighs approximately 55 tons and cost $48,000 to create. West of the tomb are the graves of an unknown soldier from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Each is marked with a three-ton slab of marble bearing the dates of each conflict. The grave of the Unknown Soldier from Vietnam was exhumed in 1998 and DNA testing discovered his identity. At the family’s request, the soldier was sent home for a traditional burial.

Ponsford, Ltd. is one of the largest conservation and restoration groups in the United States offering both in-studio services and on-site work. They have provided work at some of the finest museums, parks, and municipalities around the world, serving as protectors, guardians, and custodians of fine art and antiques. They are located at 5441 Woodstock Road, Acworth, Georgia, 30102.

For more information: on Ponsford, Ltd. and their work with Arlington National Cemetery, please call 770-924-4848. 

The internationally recognized sarcophagus was not erected until some ten years later. Sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones and architect Lorimer Rich created the monument. The marble from which the monument is constructed is known as Yule marble and was quarried in Marble, Colorado. Yule marble is the same material used to create the Lincoln Memorial. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier weighs approximately 55 tons and cost $48,000 to create. West of the tomb are the graves of an unknown soldier from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Each is marked with a three-ton slab of marble bearing the dates of each conflict. The grave of the Unknown Soldier from Vietnam was exhumed in 1998 and DNA testing discovered his identity. At the family’s request, the soldier was sent home for a traditional burial.

Barrie B. Davenport

Davenport Public Relations

6035 Loch Harbor Ct. Roswell, Georgia 30075

770-642-0430

bbdavenport@charter.net

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family members and friends of the crew on the Space Shuttle Columbia. We will never forget these brave men and women!

ponsford had the honor of restoring the space shuttle challenger monument. see shuttle monument.

Ponsford Ltd. and Ann Jackson Gallery of Roswell announce the liquidation of the largest single collection of Art in Atlanta’s recent History. The Art that once belonged to the Arthur Andersen Company will be going up for sale at:

932 Canton Street in Historic Roswell. There are over 400 contemporary paintings, all various styles, dimensions and mediums. This is a great windfall for Atlanta’s art lovers. The sale will be held:

August 16th through August 18th, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 9pm Sunday 12pm to 6pm.

For more information call:

Ponsford ltd.

770-924-4848

Ann Jackson Gallery

770-993-4783

Prior to 9/11, Ponsford Ltd., an Atlanta-based art conservation firm, was contracted by Arlington National Cemetery to conserve and restore the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Other notable monuments to be conserved include an English military memorial to Field Marshall John Dill (who represents the highest ranked British military solider buried at Arlington).

Ponsford states, " This is a great opportunity to show our appreciation for the brave men and women who are both currently engaged in defending our international interests, as well as to remember those American and British soldiers who in past wars have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of both countries."

The restoration process is to be carried out on location at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., by the Ponsford, Ltd. restoration team beginning May 1, 2002. The work is expected to be completed by May 7, 2002, starting a well-deserved salute to our soldiers for the memorial weekend at the end of May.