Preliminary work began March 12 on the restoration of the lobby of Old Main and the conservation and ultimate preservation of the historic Land-Grant Frescoes on Penn State's University Park campus. The frescoes project, funded by a $1.5 million gift from an anonymous donor, will be accompanied by the restoration of the entire Old Main lobby to reflect accurately its appearance in 1948 when the 1,300-square-foot frescoes were completed by Henry Varnum Poor. The works are the only frescoes at an American university created by an American artist, and the risk that this landmark might be damaged irreparably prompted a highly sophisticated initiative to preserve the frescoes for posterity.