Exit Sign

Object Conservation

Materials: textured & streaky colored glass, 3/16” round lead with 9/32” zinc border

This small stained glass “Exit” sign was originally located in the Embassy Theatre on Market St. in San Francisco, which was badly damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. The owner wanted to give it new life by installing it in a restored Volkswagon bus which he turned into a mobile retail store. The sign was structurally unsound. The lead was broken in several places, and the border was bent on the top edge resulting in bowing and two pieces of broken glass.

The bent zinc border was removed and straightened, and the broken lead joints were resoldered. The broken glass was edge-bonded using Hxtal, a conservation grade epoxy with a refractive index matching glass. After reputtying and polishing, the sign is now ready to live the VW bus life.