Golden ceiling: restoration at Memorial Church

Scaffolding that supports workers painting the ceiling over the Memorial Church front steps is visible beneath the church's pediment. Staff photos by Jon Chase

Painter David Connor puts finishing touches to a stencil on the church ceiling. The gold-colored border is in fact made of 24K gold leaf, which is applied in paper-thin strips just thousandths on an inch thick. The exquisite and delicate gold leaf is manufactured in Italy.

Connor peels a stencil off a completed section of the ceiling.

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