Stern Eagle
From the U.S.S. Enterprise
1881, American
The Eagle was carved by William Seward in 1881 for the U.S.S. Enterprise. It remained on the ship until 1910 when the ship was decommissioned and salvaged for scrap metal by burning away the wooden parts of the ship by A.A. Mills in Point of Pines, Maine. The proper right wing was damaged by that fire. Research indicated that the eagle would have been gilded when it was displayed on the ship. The treatment involved removing the modern paint, looking for evidence of original gilding, stabilizing the structure, filling small losses/cracks, replacing missing elements (except for the damaged wing), applying gesso and size, then gilding the surface. After the treatment was finished, HCS assisted in the design of the mount and the Eagle’s final installation.
