The craftsmen at H.J. Holtz and Son had the privilege of helping preserve and share American history by hanging graphic murals in the The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. This new facility, which is replacing the Yorktown Victory Center in Yorktown, VA, will host a grand opening celebration from March 23-April 4, 2017 to officially launch the new museum.
The graphic murals created by Keith Farby are a visual backdrop for the museum’s artifacts and exhibits. Hanging them takes extreme precision and attention to detail. If the graphic is off by ⅛”, everyone will notice it.
The curator and the head of the museum laid out the graphic murals in the correct order. The murals were 54” wide and 14-15 ft. tall. When hanging such large murals, we have to hang from left to right, making sure each panel lines up with the previous panel all along the seam. This required two to three installers to set the top, middle and bottom of each panel. Several of the murals were made up of 10 or more panels.
There were many obstacles to overcome while hanging these graphic murals. In one instance we had to hang the mural in the glass case with hardly enough room for an installer and a ladder. Not only was it challenging to place it perfectly in the case, in that situation the mural had stretched on the press. Therefore no matter how we manipulated it, it would not line up. Ultimately, it had to be reprinted. We used a lift for several men to hang a high scenic mural, and in one section, we had to secure a ladder on concrete faux dirt! There were also curved walls that we hung murals on, which required extra patience to make sure everything lined up.
We always go into a job with the mindset of treating it like it is our own home. Working at the Yorktown Museum was no different. Our experience and attention to detail made the final product look fabulous on the walls and we hope the visitors enjoy all of the history at their fingertips!