Bronze Plaques & Memorial Care

Bronze plaques and memorials are important cultural icons that dot
the land by the thousands. They provide a direct connection with the
past by focusing attention on an important person, place and/or
event. They are meant to be a type of community scrapbook,
providing a tangible way to experience history and keep it alive. Those
who pause to read them are enriched by doing so.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of them have been seriously
neglected and are in desperate need of care and attention. Over time,
the clear protective coating they are given when first created breaks
down. Air, moisture, industrial pollutants, bird droppings, acid rain,
salt, dirt, dust, minerals from tap water and especially Ultra Violet
radiation from the sun, work to break down the clear coating, leaving
the bare bronze underneath vulnerable to react to the same elements.
They cause the metal to tarnish, oxidize, darken and discolor, making
the plaques and memorials hard to read. In severe cases they can even
corrode and disintegrate.

Weathered, unreadable plaques and memorials imply they have been
neglected, which implies a lack of importance. It conveys the message
that the thought, consideration, hard work, expense and purpose were
not worth it. What was originally meant to be a symbol of honor and
recognition becomes just a dilapidated old relic that people bypass
and ignore. This is the fate of every bronze plaque and memorial --
unless action is taken to prevent it from happening.

Preservation is much easier and less expensive than restoration.
Regular maintenance should be planned as part of the commitment
to new bronze plaques & memorials. With a few simple techniques,
easily obtained supplies AND willing people to take to take a few
minutes a couple of times a year, they can get the care they deserve
and avoid the inevitable damage that comes from neglect.

Photo essay: "Why we should care about bronze plaques & memorials.

Instructions: How to Preserve Bronze Plaques &Memorials

Worksheet: How to restore plaques & memorials

Preservation products

Endorsements

Glossary of terms

Memorial Suppliers