Our Iconic State Seals Are Being Restored

Restoration of the historic State Seals that hang with pride around DAR Constitution Hall is one of the most interesting facets of this third and final phase of refurbishing our auditorium. I am deeply grateful to all those who have stepped forward to sponsor this visible part of the project by providing the funding to repair all 55 of these iconic symbols, and I thought you might enjoy knowing more about their history. In fact, the story of their manufacture suggests to me they may have been the first such set of official state seal artwork ever created. It’s little wonder that we guard them so zealously and display them only during our annual Continental Congress.

Renowned architect John Russell Pope, who designed our historic hall, included the seals in its original plans, though there were, of course, just 48 states at the time of the facility’s 1930 construction. Correspondence with Mr. Pope’s office reveals that the seals were commissioned from the firm of Geo. Waters & Company of New York City for what Mr. Pope’s staff termed a “very fair and reasonable estimate for this work” of $100 each. (By the way, that equates to approximately $1,500 in today’s dollars.)

This explains why some seals are not recognizable as replicas of the current version of any given state’s seal – in that they were inspired by this very early source record of official state emblems. It also means that this set of seals is exceptionally unique and reflects just one more example of the extraordinary lengths to which our predecessors went in creating an auditorium worthy to be named in honor of the U.S. Constitution.

It’s a delight to report that our prized state seals are, indeed, currently under a careful restoration. They are entrusted to the same artist who was part of the team that restored the stage and dome paintings during Mrs. Dillon’s administration.  Her work on the seals includes: removing dents and bends from the metal frames; deep cleaning the varnish layer to remove years of dirt and grime; repairing cracks and spots in the original paint; touching up paint where it has faded and yellowed with age, trying to keep as much of the original paint as possible; repainting the gold around the edge with the appropriate, and carefully mixed, enamel sign paint to match the existing color; and covering each seal in a coat of protective varnish.

P.S. Wondering why there are 55? In addition to the 50 states of the Union, we proudly display seals of the National Society, District of Columbia, United States of America, National Officers Club and Units Overseas. I sincerely hope that you will be able to enjoy every one of them for yourself in person at Continental Congress in June!