How to Conserve Gilding on Stone War Memorials 

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Hello, Nikki 👋 It's unusual to remove gilding because by its nature it is gold leaf and has been applied for decorative effect. You can of course apply new gold leaf to existing gilding. If it’s gold paint then there a paint remover will do this, but it’s essential to do a trial in a discrete area first. For leaf gilding, you’ll have to reverse the size (the adhesive) which was used to attach the gilding and use a method that won’t damage the underlying substrate. A size is applied to the substrate onto which the gold leaf is then applied. Traditionally this was rabbit skin glue and whiting, egg white, isinglas (fish glue) or gelatin. Although these traditional sizes are still available, acrylic-based size (for internal use) and oil-based (for external use) sizes are more common and easier to use. Removal could be mechanical (careful scraping or sanding) or chemical with a solvent (warm water may work if this has been used to dissolve the size in the first place) to dissolve the size, but there isn’t one solvent that I can categorical say will remove it. Again, a trial will help establish a suitable method. There are RU-vid videos on how to gild, but it’s a technique that requires skill and practice. If this is a valuable object and you’ve never worked with gilding before, we wouldn’t recommend attempting anything yourself, but consult a specialist conservator or monumental mason. The Institute of Conservation the National Association of Monumental Masons have lists of suitable experienced practitioners in the UK.

Hi Yvonne, thanks for your question. For external stone, we would suggest enamel or oil-based paints for inpainting for a based colour. Acrylic paint can also be used for internal monuments, but is insufficiently robust for an external location. As the video explains, a size is applied, followed with gold leaf (of no less than 23 carat). An oil- or water-based size is suitable for internal use, whereas oil-based is more durable for external use. The videos show a black oil-based paint being applied, followed by a size and then gold leaf. The video appears to show a ‘yellow paint’, but this is, in fact, the applied gold leaf. If you want to be updated on new technical conservation events and publications, please sign up to our monthly newsletter by contacting: NationalSpecialistServices@historicengland.org.uk

Hi Martina, For some guidance on this topic, please see our online advice on caring for war memorials: historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/war-memorials/ More specifically we also have a publication on inscriptions which may help: historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/war-memorials/#Section6Text There is also a video in this series on inpainting which focuses on incised inscriptions rather than applied lettering, but many of the principles are the same: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J67acZQL8lk.html Memorial masons are often skilled in this work so it may be best to approach a local one to undertake this. The National Association of Memorial Masons technical support may be able to provide more technical information, and you can search for a local memorial mason on the British Register of Associated Memorial Masons.