Hampden-Sydney College Museum

Saturday, November 22, 2008

"Learned institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw that light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty and dangerous encroachments on the public liberty" --James Madison

Sharing James Madison and the History of the Commonwealth

Hampden-Sydney College has joined in a replica project with The Colonnade Club, University of Virginia, and The Montpelier Foundation, Montpelier Station, VA, that enables all three institutions to share a unique piece of art, a memorial of a legendary man in the history of Virginia and the United States.
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Click on a small image below for a larger view.

Madison bust encased within a wooden frame, the first steps in the process of creating a rubber mold.

Sculptor, Scott McKee, of Fredericksburg, VA, prepares the bust before adding the layers of liquid rubber that will become the mold.

The first layers of liquid urethane rubber is poured over the surface of the bust.

Layer after layer of liquid urethane rubber is poured over the surface of the bust like a caramel sauce over vanilla ice cream.

The final layer of liquid urethane rubber is smeared over the surface, like icing on a cake, where it will set until it is dry. The dry rubber mold will then be brushed with layers of acrylic modified gypsum cement.