Queen Mary
Restoration Project:
Unicorns in Battle
First Class Lounge Gesso Panel
Year Originally Installed: 1936
Creator(s): Alfred J. Oakley and Gilbert Bayes
Materials: Gesso, gold & silver leaf, wood substrate, brass framing
Description:
Unicorns in Battle was conceived as a monumental centerpiece for the First-Class Main Lounge. The gilded gesso relief symbolized strength, renewal, and British national identity, embodying the ship’s Art Deco opulence.
Over decades of service, wartime conversion, and subsequent years as a stationary attraction, the panel suffered significant deterioration. Layers of dust and debris settled across its surface, stress cracks appeared in the wooden substrate, and portions of the gilding and painted details were obscured or lost. Later repainting and overcoating further dulled its original vibrancy, masking the fine craftsmanship of its creators.
Restoration
Overview
Paint and debris removal
Repair of structural damage
Gilding & Inpainting
Brass Frame Repair
The work included detailed examination using borescopes, structural stabilization of the wood substrate, and the repair of horizontal stress cracks with wood adhesive and reversible conservation fillers. The gilded surface was meticulously cleaned of dust, debris, and heavy overpaint. Areas of exposed red bole were delicately in-painted using 24kt shell gold, 24kt powder gold and silver, Schmincke metallic mediums, and Windsor & Newton metallic gouache to blend seamlessly with the original finish while preserving its historic patina. Projection portal doors were re-secured, and the surrounding brass frame was cleaned and in-painted.
Project Funding Partners
She Glimmers like it's 1936
See some Queen Mary before and after's below!
Project Funding Partners
