THE PARTHENON PROJECT
Sandra Gambetti, Assistant Professor of Gambetti is also investigating how the
History at CSI, has been very busy lately, Caproni factory gained access to the
not only trying to gain insight into the molds so that it could produce the
origins of 12 plaster casts of the Parthenon’s casts, but presently, she notes that she
western frieze that now belong to the can only speculate on this because the
Y
College, but, along with Craig Manister factory’s archives were destroyed many
from the Department of Performing and years ago. According to Gambetti, the
MMUNIT
Creative Arts, is also overseeing their British Museum’s formatore (the person
CO
restoration so that students, staff, and responsible for the Museum’s molds),
visitors to CSI may enjoy them, and learn Domenico Brucciani, whom the Museum
THE
from them. allowed to hold most of its molds in his
place of residence, eventually started his
Thus far, one cast has been completely own company. After his death in 1880,
restored, and another four are undergoing his company continued, and it is possible
/

ENGAGING
renovation. Gambetti reports that the casts that the founder of the Caproni factory T
were made in Boston by the P.P. Caproni gained access to them as he traveled OR
& Brother company some time between throughout Europe in search of molds
REP
1892 and 1927. Although she states that it for his company.
AL
is difficult to trace the exact origins of the
casts, Gambetti theorizes that they might As for the more recent history of the casts,
ANNU
be the result of a combination of two other Gambetti discovered that they originally
molds—those recreated from original belonged to the Staten Island Academy,
TION
molds commissioned by Lord Elgin in acquired through a private donation.
A
1802, which were stored at the British The Academy displayed the casts in the at (what was then) Richmond College, As work continues on four of the 12 casts,
Museum, and another set, the so-called main hall of the institution’s library. In the which was located across the street from Gambetti hopes that funding will be found
F
OUND
Merlin molds, which were created in 1872. early 1970s, the Academy moved from its the Academy, came to the casts’ rescue, to restore the remaining seven casts so that
CSI
The resulting casts corrected flaws and original location in St. George, leaving the storing them in an unused room until they may be displayed in their proper order
9
faults to portray a more accurate depiction casts in an abandoned building that was 1994, when they moved to the present-day in the CFA, and serve as touchstones for
of the original frieze. eventually scheduled for demolition. CSI campus, and the Atrium of the Center students of classical and Greek history.
Pat Passlof and Arthur Levine, professors for the Arts (CFA).
DECEMBER 2006
CSI honors New York State CSI Biology Professor Tom Brown and Department Chair Richard
Senator John J. Marchi for Veit, along with college researchers, determine how factors such as
his 50 years of service to the urban sprawl and pesticide spraying, meant to combat the West Nile
College and the community virus, impact migratory and breeding bird populations. The project
with Marchi Day. was made possible by an $18,000 grant from Con Edison.
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