lead anchors steel washers

Last Thursday I heard from Clyde Baade. He was a student in 1966 at Concordia University when my father was gluing sections of the "Spirit of Nebraska" to plywood in his backyard Seward studio. (see next photo) Listen to what this science major has to share.

     "Yes, I not only helped take both Mosaics to Lincoln, I used my own tools and helped install both of them.  

I was working in construction with Reinhardt Mueller while I was going to Concordia, at the time, and he loaned me for the project. It was a wonderful project, and Reinhold and I got along very well.  I don't know how many details you want, but would be happy to provide more if they would be of value. 

My Mom moved to Seward from Iowa so we could have a Lutheran Education and my brothers and sisters went to the High School."   Clyde Baade  (Oct 23, 2014)   

double click to see images enlarged 

    Clyde regards a photo that was in the Lincoln Journal newspaper (below). In that photo, Baade stands to the left and Reinhold to the right.

      "That is me in the picture, and thank you so much.  I did not know any one took one, so that was a real thrill for me to see it, and a treasure. "

"Your dad did rent a truck to haul the murals. As you know they are mounted on exterior plywood and he cut them in many pieces and numbered them so they would go up in the correct order.

What we did not have:

We did not have lasers to determine the plane of the wall which was very uneven.

We did not have super glue.

We had tape measures, pencils, hand drills with masonry bits (many).

Your dad would take a panel and remove 4 mosaic (glass tiles) from near the 4 corners.  I would drill mounting screw holes through the wood.  He would hold the panel in the correct location, and I would mark the holes in the concrete.  Then he would take the panel down and we would drill the holes in the concrete and install the lead anchors. We would insert the screws and put stainless steel washers on the back. Being careful not to lose any washers we would try to insert the screws into all 4 lead anchors.  If the panel was the correct distance from the wall,  we could tighten it.  More likely we would have to take the whole thing down and add washers to one or more screws.  That is where super glue and lasers would have been real nice.  When the panel was secure, Reinhold would re-glue the tile in the 4 corners and any that had to be removed when the panels were cut."     Clyde Baade

In 1967 Baade aided Marxhausen installing a mural called the "Building of the Capitol." This second mural  was also designed and installed by the professor of art from Seward, Nebraska. Next, scaffold going down to the floor.

I don't remember exactly how many days it took for the murals, but your Dad must have been satisfied with my work, because he let me come back for the 2nd one. I was just too busy and enjoying the experience too much to worry about time.  It had to be very noisy with all those hours of drilling in that great space, but I don't know of anyone complaining.  Since I was facing the wall most of the time, I don't even know who else was there.

When we finished, I was just a science major again and rarely saw the professor, but it was wonderful while it lasted.  Thank you for allowing me to share.    Clyde Baade (Oct 25, 2014)

 

West side of Great Hall, the farthest left is the mural Reinhold Marxhausen and Clyde Baade installed on a narrow scaffold, high above the floor. Below, looking up at installed mural on East side of Great Hall.

The late Norman Geske discusses the integration of symbolism and art into the design of the Nebraska State Capitol, in particular the six mosaics in the great hall. Reinhold talks about his design for "The Spirit of Nebraska". Video is nine minutes.  Reinhold kneels below gluing tiles in his Seward studio (circa 1966)

 

 glued wood pieces

glued glass mosaic pieces

The "Spirit of Nebraska" is very big. 

It filled a niche that was 13 by 18 feet.

Photos from Marxhausen LTD, Seward, Nebraska

More on Capitol at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_State_Capitol
View all six Great Hall murals, click and scroll down, http://capitol.org/building/rooms/foyer/  accessed Oct 28, 2014.