Ebbet's Field home plate plaque

Masterwork Plaques designed and fabricated a commemorative "home plate" plaque to honor Jackie Robinson’s major league baseball debut. This cast bronze plaque is installed at the former site of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, NY.

From 1913 - 1957, Ebbets Field was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team. Ebbets Field was the site of many of the Dodgers early successes before their eventual move to Los Angeles in 1958. Among these historic successes was the desegregation of the team, with the signing of Jackie Robinson in 1947. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the major leagues, bringing the end to sixty years of segregation in professional baseball.  

The plaque is installed at the precise location of Ebbets Field’s former home plate, where Jackie Robinson first stood at bat on April 15, 1947. The project was developed as a part of Ken Burns newest documentary series, in conjunction with the release of Google’s visual reality headset. By overlaying a photograph onto a more recent photo of the current landscape, Google was able to determine the exact location of the home plate (Yahoo Sports: 10 Degrees: The secret virtual-reality project to honor Jackie Robinson) This commemorative plaque resides in the courtyards of the Ebbets Field high-rise apartment complex, and the home plate shaped plaque faces where the old center field would have been if it still existed today.

Our studio can create custom shaped commemorative plaques in just about any shape and size. For this particular project, we felt it was appropriate to use the dimensions of a home plate, to reference the historic baseball field. 

Why is a chemical patina better than standard paint?

Cast bronze plaques can be finished with a paint or finished with a chemical patina with a variety of different effects.  The natural color of bronze is actually a very light gold, but the common belief is that bronze is actually a darker brown.  Most people only see bronze sculptures after a patina has already been applied, which is what makes people think bronze is naturally a dark colored metal.

ABOUT CHEMICAL PATINAS

A patina can occur naturally over time on the surface of most metals, caused as a result of oxidization, age, or exposure to changing weather and environment. Patinas can also be applied to metals when they are produced, which prevents weathering and general wear and tear on a plaque and also makes the plaque more visually pleasing.  

What is important to note is that a true patina, whether it occurs naturally or is applied, chemically changes the surface color of the bronze.  It will not peel away; it will not chip off.  Plaques that are finished with paint and not patina, can have adverse chipping affects because the paint simply sits on top of the metal.  With heavy foot traffic, the patina color will change and naturally burnish and shine, but this creates a pleasing look and gives the plaque a true luster, rather than a painted plaque that just looks badly maintained.

Often times other plaque companies will use the word patina or stain without actually using the true chemical process to color a cast bronze plaque.  Applying patina to a bronze plaque is a more expensive process than what most plaque-makers want to use.  Many companies use other products with names like chem-col, polychrome patina, and graphite sprays, which are really just paint.  If the bronze work is set in a horizontal position, or is subject to extreme weather conditions, these other products will start to peel in a few years.

Determining the Proper Metal for your Plaque Project

After browsing through various plaques online and in your neighborhood, you have very likely come across both bronze and aluminum plaques.  Both plaque types are very popular and are used for both indoor and outdoor use, for traditional and unique purposes.  Masterwork Plaques creates both cast aluminum and cast bronze plaques at our studio, and each plaque is custom-made to your liking.  After working with each metal type over the years, we would recommend aluminum and bronze plaques for different applications. 

CAST BRONZE PLAQUES

The benefit of a cast bronze plaque is its exceptional durability.  Bronze is an alloy made primarily of copper and tin.  It is stronger and harder than any other common metal alloy, with the exception of stainless steel.  This makes a cast bronze plaque an ideal choice for exterior plaques used as standard signage, commemorative plaques, memorials and plaques that are inset into the ground. Cast bronze will hold up well against a variety of weather conditions and is finished with a clear lacquer for extra protection.  If you are looking for a plaque installed under foot, bronze plaques hold up well under heavy foot traffic. Bronze is also the most traditional material used for plaques, so this metal type will give your project a look of class, distinction and strength.  Bronze plaques have a recognizable luster created by the application of a true chemical patina, which holds up better than a paint or stain.

Benefits of Cast Bronze:

• Durability and strength
• Classic, traditional look
• Ability to hold fine detail
• Rich luster and chemical patina
• Wall installation and in-ground installation

CAST ALUMINUM PLAQUES

Cast aluminum plaques have unique benefits of their own.  Although aluminum is a much softer metal, it is significantly lighter in weight than cast bronze, while still retaining the ability to hold up well against a variety of weather conditions. The silver coloring of aluminum plaques also has a sleek, contemporary look, perfect for modern buildings with a materials palette of glass and steel. Aluminum is durable enough for both interior and exterior plaque installations, and can be mounted to just about any type of wall, stone or platform, as can bronze. However, because of the softness of the metal, aluminum plaques are not recommended for plaques that are inset into the ground or installed in very high-usage areas.  At our studio, cast aluminum is a great alternative to a bronze plaque if you are looking to create a large durable plaque on a smaller budget.  The background of an aluminum plaque can be painted virtually any color, making it a nice choice for corporate logo plaques or other graphic signs where the company’s colors are integral to the overall design.

Benefits of Cast Aluminum:

• Lightweight metal
• Budget friendly
• Contemporary, silver coloring
• Colored backgrounds
• Wall-only installation

For more information on the metal types we offer at our studio, check out our material options on our website.