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.

What type of metal can be used for in-ground plaques?

Often times for walk of fame projects, interpretive trails and other installations, our clients may prefer to install a custom plaque project underfoot and inset into the ground, rather than installing on a wall.  Can this be done? Absolutely, however special requirements will apply if you choose to install a plaque in this way.

The plaque material is very important.  Some metals (such as aluminum) are too soft to be installed underfoot.  Aluminum is less dense than other metals and can chip away and corrode too easily when exposed to the constant wear and tear of foot traffic.  Stainless steel is a strong and non-corrosive metal, however because stainless steel can only be created as an etched plaque, the relief depth is too shallow and the painted areas will not last if installed in the ground.  Cast bronze plaques are stronger and more durable than most other metal types. This makes cast bronze ideal for projects inset into cement, pavers, terrazzo, sidewalks, etc.  Cast bronze plaques hold up very well against heavy foot traffic, as they share many of stainless steels durable qualities.  In fact, inset custom bronze plaques installed in cities and busy areas will enhance the luster and quality of the design over time - keeping raised areas buffed and looking good.

In addition to the metal choice for inset plaques, it is important to color and finish these projects in a particular way.  Masterwork Plaques uses a real chemical patina to color all of our studio's inset bronze plaque projects. This is a more expensive process than what most plaque makers would like to use.  Many other companies use products with names like chem-col, polychrome patinas, and graphite sprays which are really just fancy words for "paint".  If the bronze work is set in a horizontal position, i.e. in the pavement, these other products will start to peel in a few years.  Sometimes getting a “great deal” with a painted plaque seems more appealing upfront, but the cost and hassle of refinishing the painted plaque changes minds quickly!

Real patina finishes chemically change the surface color of the bronze.  This technique ensures that no coloration will peel away when the plaques are set in the paving.  Under heavy foot traffic, the patina will stay bright and buffed, so that the bronze work looks highlighted and burnished, as opposed to looking peeled and badly maintained.