--- title: General Sherman Rides Again; Sponge-Jet, Guilder’s Studio and Caruso Painting Restore US Monument description: As part of New York’s Central Park Conservancy restoration project to reconstruct Grand Army Plaza, the William Tecumseh Sherman monument was brought back to life after sponge blasting and the application of new gold leaf. image: https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/sherman_header.jpg --- - [+1 603-610-7950](tel:+1-603-610-7950) - [Home](https://www.spongejet.com/) - [Log In](https://www.spongejet.com/login) - [Contact](https://www.spongejet.com/contact/) English Espanol Japanese Korean Chinese Deutsch Netherlands Search - Products - Resources - Web Pages Find the best products for your job [![spongejet](https://blog.spongejet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/logo.png?width=211&height=49&name=logo.png "spongejet")](https://www.spongejet.com/) - [Home](https://www.spongejet.com/) - [How It Works](https://www.spongejet.com/how-it-works/) - [Videos](https://www.spongejet.com/video-gallery/) - 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The monument restoration, included as part of the larger Plaza restoration project, called for the removal and reapplication of gold leaf on Augustus St. Gauden’s 1903 masterpiece. The sculptor favored bright, shining monuments, and disdained the look of bronzing as it darkened with age. Unfortunately, with weather wear and time,  this was happening to the Sherman monument’s failed gilding. Ranking “…among the most distinguished equestrian groups of Western art,” by the 1988 book *The Art Commission and the Municipal Art Society Guide to Manhattan’s Outdoor Sculpture*, careful restoration included the work of [Caruso Painting and Decorating](http://www.carusopainting.com/) (NY, USA) and the [Guilder’s Studio](http://www.gilders.com/) (MD, USA). Caruso used Sponge-Jet [Silver 80 Sponge Media™](https://www.spongejet.com/store/silver-80-sponge-mediatm.html?) micro-abrasives to remove the old gold leaf and priming layer and to prepare the bronze ![DSC05059.jpg](https://blog.spongejet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DSC05059.jpg?width=320&name=DSC05059.jpg "DSC05059.jpg")surface to receive a new coating. To refit the gold leaf, contractors needed to re-profile the substrate to 50 microns (2 mils). The coating system (consisting of primer and gold leaf (tinted with burnt umber and lampblack) was applied by the Guilder’s Studio. Three additional coats of polyurethane were applied to protect the gilding from ultraviolet rays and pigeon fouling. The General William Tecumseh Sherman, his horse Ontario, as well as the statue’s symbolic beauty of peace and victory once again stands proudly in Grand Army Plaza of Central Park’s Southwest corner.   ![beforeafter.jpg](https://blog.spongejet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/beforeafter.jpg?width=750&height=351&name=beforeafter.jpg "beforeafter.jpg")                                    - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [Historic Restoration](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/historic-restoration) [Case Histories](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/case-histories) Search this site on Google Search Google ### Categories - [Case Histories (41)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/case-histories) - [Historic Restoration (35)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/historic-restoration) - [Tech-Terminal (35)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/tech_terminal) - [Executive View (23)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/executive-view) - [Lead Abatement (22)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/lead-abatement) - [Application Station (21)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/application-station) - [Cleaning (18)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/cleaning) - [OSHA (12)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/osha) - [Safety First (12)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/safety-first) - [corrosion (12)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/corrosion) - [Stone Restoration (10)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/stone-restoration) - [Dustless Blasting (8)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/dustless-blasting) - [Fire Damage (7)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/fire-damage) - [Marine Industry (7)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/marine-industry) - [Robotica (7)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/robotica) - [Granite (5)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/granite) - [Coal Slag (4)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/coal-slag) - [Robotic Abrasive Blasting (2)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/robotic-abrasive-blasting) - [Railcar (1)](https://blog.spongejet.com/topic/railcar) see all ### Recent Posts ### Sign up for our blog. ![](https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/find-rep-bg.png) ![](https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/find-rep-img.png) [Distributor Locator](https://www.spongejet.com/find-rep/) ![](https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/white-paper-bg.png) ![](https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/white-paper-img.png) [Resources](https://www.spongejet.com/support/resources-support/resource-library/?k=&type=document-library&document-type%5B%5D=24&searchsubmit=Search+resource) ![](https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/online-traing-bg.png) ![](https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/online-traing-img.png) [Online Training](https://www.mytestcom.net/app/myTestcomURL.cfm?accountLogin=SpongeJet123&joinPasscode=SpongeJet123) [![spongejet](https://blog.spongejet.com/hubfs/Spongejet-Oct2015-Theme/Images/logo.png)](https://www.spongejet.com/) - - - - - [+1 603-610-7950](tel:+1-603-610-7950) - [Contact us](https://www.spongejet.com/contact/) Phone: +1 603-610-7950 | 14 Patterson Lane, Newington, NH 03801 USA - [© 2015 Sponge-Jet, Inc.](https://www.spongejet.com/copyright-info/) - [Contact](https://www.spongejet.com/contact/) - [Support](https://www.spongejet.com/support/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.spongejet.com/privacy-policy/) - [Terms & Conditions](https://www.spongejet.com/terms-conditions/)