The Renovation of Edgewood Shopping Center, 72" x 48" Cast Bronze Plaques

Masterwork Plaques was invited to create two large-scale commemorative plaques for the Edgewood Plaza Shopping Center, located in Palo Alto, CA, which were recently installed in May 2015.  The shopping center was originally developed by the well-known real estate developer, Joseph Eichler, in the mid-1950’s.  Over the past few years, the site has gone through restoration and redevelopment by Sand Hill Property Company.  Our custom-designed bronze plaques include the original site plans created by Eichler and architect A. Quincy Jones in 1955, in addition to providing a brief history of Eichler’s well-known “California Modern” style. 

Image provided by Sand Hill Property Company and the Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.

Joseph Eichler developed over 11,000 affordable houses in California, and is considered one of the most influential builders of his day.  He was influenced by the styles of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe, and even lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright house himself.  His goal was to “bring the outside in” with floor to ceiling windows, patios and gardens.  He incorporated these ideas into Edgewood Plaza, the only commercial property Eichler ever built. The original shopping center was considered a landmark for its suburban post-war design, and for this reason, the two custom bronze plaques were created.  

Edgewood Plaza: Cast Bronze Plaque (1 of 2)

Our studio was able to recreate several of Eichler’s original site drawings and architectural plans in bronze. Taken from a scan from historic archives, the first plaque shows two different renderings created in the mid 1950’s (the third is a photograph from 2014).  Our studio can depict historic renderings in two ways: either illustrated in flat-relief, or recreated as a photo-rendered image.  The illustrated drawing spans across the bottom half of the first plaque.  This drawing from A. Quincy Jones was originally rendered in a simple black and white style. We felt this style was important to keep alive when translated into bronze. The second image in the top left corner of the first plaque is rendered in a photographic style, because the original rendering was composed of complex shading, more like a photographic image.  It is contrasted with a photo from the 2014 renovated site to its right. On the second plaque (shown below), the original illustrated plan view from the 1955 shopping center is shown contrasted against its 2014 renovated layout, giving us another before and after look at Edgewood Plaza, then and now.

Edgewood Plaza: Cast Bronze Plaque (2 of 2)

Masterwork Plaques has worked with many commercial properties in the past on projects ranging in complexity from building management plaques, to historic commemorations and landmark projects.  For a bronze plaque project of this scope, “before and after” images both commemorate the original designs and welcome any changes to the newly renovated properties.  The custom plaques also provide an opportunity for education and historic context for the casual passerby.  For more information on historic landmark plaques and building management plaques, send us an email at masterworkplaques@gmail.com.

Central Park: East Side at 107th Street entrance just south of the Harlem Meer

Masterwork Plaques recently collaborated with the Central Park Conservancy and the NYC Parks Department to recreate a historic commemorative plaque.  Designed and installed just in time for spring of 2015, this custom bronze plaque is an exact replica of the original dedicated in 1906, which was lost sometime in the 1970’s.

2015 Replica of the original McGown's Pass plaque

McGown’s Pass (sometimes spelled “McGowan’s”) is a small part of the northeast section of Central Park and is named after the McGown family, who owned a tavern in the area from 1756 until the Revolutionary War.  The plaque commemorates the area’s advantageous position during the British occupation of New York from 1776 to 1783, in addition to its use during the War of 1812, where Fort Clinton was built to better arm and protect the city.  McGown’s Pass is a high-topographical point in the park, and today, a commemorative site (where the newly installed plaque can be found) rests at the high point of the hill. 

McGown's Pass site, Before and After; Black and white photo courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.

Masterwork Plaques was able to recreate this custom-shaped plaque from the reference of two black and white photos and an incomplete image of the original design plans.  This was the only remaining evidence of the original plaque’s design.  Using our extensive font library, we were able to design and customize each letter to best imitate the look of the original hand-tooled type.  Masterwork Plaques also modified our lamb’s tongue decorative border to include a sloped and dimensional ogee curve and custom corner details, which were present on the original historic plaque. Custom rosettes were also replicated and hand-carved based on the specifications on the original design plan. 

  Photo of the original plaque, courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy

Most importantly, when replicating a historic bronze plaque, is to capture the natural aged, antique look of a real chemical patina.  Masterwork Plaques’ offers specialty services from highly skilled artisans who can imitate natural tarnishing, corrosion, and weathering that occurs over time.  A true chemical patina chemically changes the surface color of the bronze, which eliminates the possibility of chipping away or peeling off over time, as occurs with a layer of paint or a stain from imitation patinas.  Oftentimes plaque companies will apply a layer of paint rather than a chemical patina, which is cheaper, but will not last the test of time.

All of these elements were vital to creating an exact replica of this historic bronze plaque. Techniques from this project can be used on any plaque project, whether the goal is to replicate a historic landmark, or to simply add an antique quality to any personal or commercial plaque that may aim to look like it has been in place for decades.  Our studio specializes in these custom design techniques.  Masterwork Plaques came into being from the desire to revolutionize the bronze plaque industry so that each plaque is created with one-of-a-kind designs and materials of the finest quality.

What borders can I add to my cast bronze plaque?

Cast bronze plaques can be created with a variety of different border styles.  Typically a cast bronze plaque will have a simple border that is raised extending about ¼” from the edge of the plaque.  Borders are typically recommended on most cast bronze plaques, as they give the piece a finished and refined quality and also protect the central text and graphics from general damage. However, on occasion a borderless cast plaque may be preferred if the plaque will be inset into brick or into the ground and needs to have a seamless and integrated look with its surroundings. If a border is preferred, a standard single line border can be expanded to a double line border, beveled edge border, or even a combination of more than one border technique.  These borders are standard at our studio and are included in the price of the plaque (shown below).