Palm House, Sefton Park
Before and after restoration
John Parkinson (7)
Palm House, Sefton Park
Before and after restoration
Sculpture restorer Ben Murphy
(2004) has been restoring
eight well known marble and bronze statues in Liverpool’s
Sefton Park. Depicting famous explorers and naturalists they
were created by Leon-Joseph Chavailiaud to surround the
19th-century Grade II* listed Palm House – the Park’s
recently restored centrepiece. Despite conservation six years
ago they were covered in grime and some pieces were missing.
Liverpool City Council and the Palm House Preservation
Trust commissioned Ben, whose company ‘Monumental
Maintenance Services’ in based in Liverpool, to undertake a
programme of restoration. Picture shows ‘before and after’
of the marble statue of the JOHN PARKINSON APOTHECARY TO KING JAMES 1
BORN 1567 - DIED 1650. Ben comments, “Liverpool has a
priceless legacy of public art – more than 250 monuments
and statues. Through lack of specialist knowledge, finance and
general neglect, significant pieces have been lost. I am keen to
ensure that as many works are possible are looking their best
when Liverpool is European Capital of Culture in 2008.”