Saving History: Hastings Library war mural undergoes conservation treatment

Peter McIntyreE’s mural in the Hall of Memories at the Hastings War Memorial Library is due for a facelift.

The famous war mural in the Hall of Memories at the Hastings War Memorial Library is set to get some much-needed attention and undergo some preventive conservation treatment.

Designed and painted by war artist Peter McIntyre OBE in 1959 and listed as a public artwork, the mural depicts an assault by the joint branches of the armed forces on an unspecified beach.

McIntyre was a Dunedin-born artist, who was appointed New Zealand’s official war artist in January 1941. Between 1941 and 1945 he recorded the activities of 2NZEF in Crete and North Africa and at Cassino in Italy.

His war artwork, exhibited in Europe and New Zealand, defined the New Zealand soldier’s experience of World War II.

Every few years, his mural needs a once-over by a professional conservator.

Carolina Izzo has been commissioned to assess its condition and undertake any repair work.

Izzo is the managing director of Studio Izzo, an art conservation practice based in Auckland. The studio’s team are all professionally trained and accredited art conservators who specialise in the project management of restoration and conservation procedures on heritage buildings.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the conservation treatment had been scheduled regularly to ensure the integrity and long-term preservation of what was an irreplaceable public work.

The treatment may include cleaning the overall paint surface, along with retouching and repairs to areas where it has lost some colour.

The Hall of Memories entrance to the library will be closed on Friday, November 10, so scaffolding can be safely erected but it will be open to the public while the conservation work is taking place.

Library visitors will be able to get a partial view of the conservator at work in the Hall of Memories from Monday, November 13. The work is expected to be finished on Thursday, November 16.