Pigment Harvesting From Plaza-Facing Church Walls Begins Next Week

October 28, 2020

Beginning next week, the Alamo will begin the process of extracting pigment samples of the exterior Church walls. This process will require scaffolding and an electric lift, where Alamo Conservator Pamela Jary Rosser will harvest pigment layers where there is evidence of pigment fragments in the hopes of finding mission-era lime washes.

“Other missions in San Antonio were decoratively painted,” Alamo Conservator Pamela Jary Rosser said. “We don’t know if the Alamo was painted, and doing this will give us evidence to determine if the Alamo was painted during the mission-era as well,” Rosser added.

This process will take place Monday through Friday, during operating hours, and will not impact visitor traffic or the ability to practice social distancing while on site. The scaffolding and lift will be placed on the west elevation of the Church, the view of the Church that can be seen from Alamo Plaza.