Nearly 300-year-old painted angels, hidden under layers of paint for over a century, are being restored at Boston's Old North Church.
Conservator Corrine Long is restoring nearly 300-year-old painted angels on the walls of the Old North Church in Boston . (Steven Senne/AP) Straddling the scaffolding high up in a historic Boston church, conservators are working to uncover eight angels that were hidden under layers of paint at Old North Church for more than a century. The painted angels — with round childlike faces and wings — once were among the defining features of the church when they were painted around 1730.
But in 1912, the angels were painted over with thick coats of white paint, part of an austere renovation that restorationists are trying to reverse.'When we first looked at the project six months ago, we had no idea what was here,' said conservator Gianfranco Pocobene.'It's really been quite a revelation to find these really interesting and historic works of art on the walls of the church that nobody has seen in our lifetime,' he continued.'Just to be part of a project where we are revealing something from colonial America is really extraordinary.' A popular stop for tourists visiting Boston's North End, the Old North Church is best known for the two lanterns hung from its steeple on the night of Paul Revere's 1775 ride to warn of the British army's approach. As the 250th anniversary of Revere's ride approaches in April, church officials also want to draw attention to its beginnings in 1723 and its identity, both as a beacon of liberty but also its connections to the slave trade — many of its first congregants profited off slavery. The church was built to house Boston's growing colonial Anglican community and its interior was much more colorful and dynamic than what visitors see today. 'For much of the church's history, people who were coming here to the church would have seen those angels, would have seen the colorful interior,' said Emily Spence, the associate director of education at Old North Illuminated, which operates the church as a historic site
History Restoration Art Boston Old North Church
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hidden Angels Revealed in Boston's Old North ChurchConservators have uncovered eight angels painted on the walls of Boston's Old North Church, a historic site that played a key role in the Revolutionary War. The angels, hidden under layers of white paint for over a century, were originally painted around 1730. Their rediscovery is part of an ongoing effort to reverse an austere renovation from 1912.
Read more »
North Korean hackers use disguised apps to target Macs with hidden malwareTech expert Kurt “CyberGuy' Knutsson says North Korean hackers hide malware in macOS apps, bypassing Mac security checks.
Read more »
Cause of Annville church fire found to be electrical; church suffers 'significant' damageSmoke was reported around 3:57 a.m. at St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church on West Main Street, according to emergency dispatchers.
Read more »
Engineers Find 132-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Hidden Inside Lighthouse Wall: 'We Were Shaking'A group of engineers were surprised when they uncovered a 'once in a lifetime find' in the form of a 132-year-old message in a bottle found in the lighthouse at the Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel in Barnhills, Scotland.
Read more »
Illinois woman sends gifts to church, brightens holiday season in hurricane-ravaged North CarolinaIllinois woman sends Christmas gifts to church in hurricane-ravaged North Carolina
Read more »
Santa welcomes a gift — one that keeps on giving — from the LDS Church to North PoleThe LDS Church sends its Giving Machines to North Pole, Alaska.
Read more »