The Reilly Mirror
Daniel J. Reilly III
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For most of his time at Lowden, Dan Reilly stayed in the left bedroom of the Miller Lodge (formerly known as the
Cooks Cabin). He brought a mirror to camp which had belonged to his wife, and affixed a typewritten label to both
the front and the back which said:This mirror is the property of Marion M. Reilly and is to remain at Camp Lowden only as long as Dan Reilly continues to work on summer camp staff.However, after he retired from the camp staff he left the mirror at camp. Steve Sarver discussed the situation with him and Dan advised that he no longer needed the mirror, and that it could remain at Camp Lowden. Over the years, however, the many coats of paint (pink and blue) began to peal. In addition a frozen pipe burst and flooded the entire cabin, causing a high level of humidity which loosened the joints of the mirror and caused the original plywood backing to split and flake off. In 2007-2008 Steve completely refurbished the mirror. This involved dismantling each piece of the frame and stripping it down to the bare wood, having a new mirror made (the original had decayed), preparing a new plywood backing, staining and finishing, reassembly, and adding a plaque to the front. |
 Before Restoration |
 Gluing Back Together |
 Staining |
| Dan was briefed on the project before, during, and after the refurbishing and was pleased at the final result. He is happy that the mirror - an antique which dates back to at least the 1930s - will continue to serve the Miller Lodge at Camp Lowden for many more years to come. |
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