The Eight-Day Miracle: Grand Light Restores Crystal Chandelier in Time for Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies
Facing a tight deadline, the New Haven, Connecticut-based lighting restoration company recreated an antique crystal chandelier that fell during cleaning, only 12 days before the 2007 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
Cooperstown, N.Y., July 28, 2007 — Twelve days before Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, workers at the Otesaga Resort and Hotel were cleaning the antique Czech crystal chandelier when it fell 20 feet to the ground.
The Otesaga, which would host the inductees and other baseball greats, was without its crystal centerpiece, which was originally made around 1910 in London. Fortunately, Grand Light was there to pick up the pieces.
Located in an area renowned for its historical buildings and architectural wealth, it was crucial that the resort have their showcase chandelier repaired in time. The lighting restoration specialists received the call from The Otesaga and within eight days, orchestrated and successfully completed the reconstruction of the six-foot-wide antique chandelier.
“Our entire team felt the pressure, but I was confident that Grand Light could complete the task not only on time, but to do it well and maintain the historic integrity of the piece,” Grand Light Owner Steve Stockman said.
The restoration experts immediately and simultaneously began each phase of the project once they had brought the destroyed chandelier back to their workshop in New Haven. They rushed a delivery of crystal prisms and pendalogues from Czechoslovakia to replace the originals that chipped and shattered when the fixture fell.
The team carefully replicated and replaced 16 custom Hurricane shades that were damaged in the fall.
As they dressed each crystal bowl and bobeche by hand with the replacement scallops and pendalogues, they had upstate New York Artisan craft 16 custom fluted and twisted optic crystal arms.
In addition to recreating and silver-plating the destroyed components and hardware, the experts stripped, buffed and re-lacquered the frame and candle components. They also rewired the chandelier to modern specifications.
On the day of the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, the restoration team made their way to Cooperstown with the finished components. Once there, they assembled the frame, seated the bowls and installed the completed fixture.
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