[Graphic version]
East Rotunda
The East Rotunda was completed in 1879 and was designed by Richard von
Ezdorf for the Navy Department. The glass was painted over for black out
purposes after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as were all the skylights and
domes in the building. Restoration of this dome (1984-1985, 1994)
included the removal of paint from the original red, white and blue glass
and the replacement of two panes. The National Park Service paint
analysis revealed the color scheme in
the surrounding area, and aluminum and dutch metal paints were
applied by painters of the
General Service Administration to replicate the original silver and gold
decorations.
West Rotunda
The West Rotunda was completed in 1884 and designed by Richard von
Ezdorf for the War Department. The original glass was removed in 1950
and replaced with concrete, for reasons unknown.
Research and restoration began in 1984 and was completed in 1988. The
original designs for the glass were located at the
National Archives. Research was done to find the color key, but none
was located, so new colors were picked to match the original colors found
during paint analysis of the surrounding plaster. The replication of the
glass reflects a typical Victorian palette and the design includes an
orange-mocha color with lavender and green accents. The surrounding
plaster and cast iron decorations were painted and dutch metal simulating
gold leaf was applied by the GSA in-house painters.
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