Bertoia Dandelion Restoration

A collaborative effort between University Archivist Elizabeth Call, Vignelli Center Director Josh Owen, and Roberto Bertoia of Cornell University, this ongoing project aims to conserve and restore the Golden Dandelions sculpture created by world-renowned artist Harry Bertoria, with the goal of placing the restored work in a permanent and prominent location on campus.

Harry Bertoria was commissioned by the Eastman Kodak Company in 1964 to design and create a centerpiece sculpture for Kodak’s World’s Fair Pavilion at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.  The seven dandelions, Golden Dandelions, were displayed in a fountain situated at the main entrance of the pavilion.  As originally constructed, the sculpture consisted of 170,000 wires and each of the wires were gold-plated and individually cut to size, cleaned and brazed.  The core of each wire sphere is a bronze globe.  Bertoia had the cores made by a metal company which manufactured floats for commercial fishing nets, then he calculated and drilled holes at specified intervals over their surfaces.  The individual strands of plated wire were soldered into wire whisks – from 45 to 65 pieces gathered at one end and branching like a broom at the other.  The pieces range in height from six to ten feet with diameters as large as six feet across, and will sway up to 30 degrees when moved by wind.  With direct inspiration from nature, Bertoia, upon completing this work, said he hoped the Golden Dandelions would be “quietly delightful to people.”

Born in Italy, Harry Bertoia came to America to study at the age of 15.  He studied with Finnish architect Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Bertoia was known for his work with wire sculpture, molten bronze, and metal furniture.  

Bertoia, along with Kodak, deliberately chose RIT to be the permanent home of the Golden Dandelions in 1975 because they felt the sculpture would be admired by, and inspire, many.  Being the first thing people saw upon entering the Kodak Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair the original intention of this commissioned piece was to inspire awe and wonderment.  It is a truly remarkable public art piece that perfectly represents, much like RIT, the embodiment and sentiment of innovation and whimsy.

This project will enable the Golden Dandelions to be reunited, restored, and allow for this important sculpture to once again be on public display as originally intended by Harry Bertoria—creating quiet delight.

Project Team
Elizabeth Call, Project leader, RIT Archives
Josh Owen, Project co-leader, Vignelli Center
Roberto Bertoia, Project lead consultant, Cornell University Sculpture
Mike Buffalin, Project consultant, RIT SHED
Kat Kauffman, Co-lead student designer/fabricator, RIT Sculpture 
Mei Kiengsiri, Co-lead student designer/fabricator, RIT Sculpture
Gates Andrews, Student fabricator, RIT Industrial Design
Adrian Stadthagen, Student project assistant, RIT Industrial Design
Jasper Owen, Student project assistant, Cornell University Architecture