Work started back up on the DAR Library lay light restoration project after the 121st Continental Congress was over. Tables were cleared in the Library to allow a space for the lay light to be lowered. In this image, additional panels are already gone (upper right) and two panels have been raised up from their framework and resting on wood in the corners in preparation for removal.

The first panel removed was the panel right next to the center panel (dark). The surrounding panels were all removed through that same original opening.

The entire North side panels of the lay light (right in the photo) were removed first in approximately two weeks and transported to the New Jersey restoration facility. The workers will now shift to removing the South side panels.

Bookcases were relocated and tables removed from the DAR Library to accommodate the lay light panel removal process. However, because the work is being done at night, there are no other disturbances to the daily researchers in the Library.

Here you can see the framework which the lay lights rest in. The lay light on the left shows how the panels are raised out of the frame to prepare to be lowered to the Library floor.

As more of the panels are removed from the ceiling, the DAR Library has become increasingly brighter from the sun coming through the skylight. Once the restored panels are reinstalled, the glass will be much cleaner to allow better natural light in the Library.

Examining the lay light panels in the holding shed, it is obvious how dirty they have become and you wonder how light got through the glass at all.

More evidence of dirty, corroded cames and how they were pulling away from the glass from the misplaced support wires.

A close up view of the paint that covered the metal embellishments – as well as the paint over spray that coated the glass. The restoration process will include stripping away the paint from the metal ornamentation to restore them to their natural color.

Another view of the painted metal ornamentation and the paint overspray on the glass.

A shed was built on the North Portico of Memorial Continental Hall to house the lay light panels once they have been removed from the Library ceiling and before being transported to the historic glass studio where they will be restored.

The shed with lay light panels temporarily stored inside.

About seven of the lay light panels in the shed prior to their trip to New Jersey.

One of the new discoveries in the removal process was noticing the wood frames were branded with a letter-number system (like here “BIII” or “B-3”) presumably identifying their positioning in the ceiling.

The wood frames are also branded with Property of NSDAR – just in case anyone ever walked off with the 9 feet 1 inch by 8 feet 4 inch panel weighing approximately 500 pounds.

Now that ten panels on the North side of the DAR Library have been removed, work will begin removing the panels on the South side. You can see here that two panels have already been lifted out of their framework and resting on wood blocks in their corners in preparation to be lowered to the Library floor.

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