Aug 15 2018

Buildings, Banks..and Bridges?

When we think of a souvenir building, one thinks of the impressive memorials, towers and skyscrapers from around the world. A lot of cities in our world today, however, would not be as successful or famous without a different kind of structure: the bridge.

Sometimes, a bridge can be the more well known than the buildings it connects. The Golden Gate Bridge has become synonymous with San Francisco, the London Bridge even has a song (though the original no longer lives in London). Believe it or not, a lot of bridges are worth a souvenir, and traveling around the globe, one can find many miniatures to bring home. Beautiful, strong, and impressive—bridges are an excellent addition to any building collection.

Here are some exmaples of souvenir bridges:

A painted metal Golden Gate Bridge. Collection of Seamus McMahon

The Ponte Sisto Bridge of Florence and Charles Bridge of Prague. Both Resin. Collection of Seamus McMahon

The Chain Bridge of Budapest. Resin. Collection of Seamus McMahon

Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. Resin, with cars running through it and lit with holiday lights. Collection of Seamus McMahon

Sometimes a brdge can be featured in a cityscape, like the Brooklyn Bridge here of New York. Resin. Collection of Seamus McMahon

Have some bridges of your own? We’d love to see them! Please feel free to post in the comment section or on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/47920772123/

Jul 10 2018

The French Worsted Company: will be at the SBCS Auction

Back in 2002, the Souvenir Building Collector, Journal of the Souvenir Building Collectors Society, published a part travelogue, part historical, and part descriptive article by Bill Trainer on The French Worsted Company, Woonsocket, RI. A miniature replica of this company’s buildings and campus is sought after by souvenir building collectors. In just a few days one of these replicas, from the Bob Kneisel collection, will be auctioned off at the SBCS 2018 Convention in Worcester, MA.

Here is the beginning of the article.

French Worsted

To read the whole article and peruse a copy of Volume 9, No. 4, Winter 2002 journal, click here.

Full copies (24 years) of the Journal of the Souvenir Building Collectors are digitally available to members of SBCS. Join today.

There is still time to register for and attend the July 13 – 15 Convention in Worcester, MA. To visit the registration page click here.

Jun 5 2018

Bring Your Buck$ to Boston

A selection of approximately 25 souvenir buildings from Bob Kneisel’s Collection will be among the many offerings at the 2018 SBCS Convention SWAP MEET and AUCTION. Ten of Kneisel’s buildings are shown below. Don’t miss out on this opportunity at the 2018 SBCS Convention in Boston, July 13 – 15. Here is a link to the Registration Information.

Framingham Farmer’s Merchant Bank

French Worsted, Woonsocket, RI

Boston Wharf Acquisition

Faneuil Hall, Boston

Boston Custom House

Bank of Ethiopia

Barnegat Lighthouse, NJ

Bennington Monument, VT

Bunker Hill Monument, Boston

Fenway Park, Boston

Mar 26 2018

2018 SBCS Convention: Boston, Brimfield and Buildings

The Old State House, Boston, MA. Oldest (1713) Public Building extant in Boston. Cast Iron and Wood, Doorstop, 14 1/2” high.

Start planning TODAY! The 2018 SBCS Convention has something for everyone! The convention hotel, Worcester HILTON GARDEN INN, is situated between the treasure-filled meadows of Brimfield and the historic buildings of Boston. Worcester is the where the SMILEY FACE was born, a sign of the good times that await SBCS conventioneers.
The Convention is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 13 – 15. Visit the 2018 Convention Tab/Page for the hotel details and make your reservation early. The Convention Schedule and Registration details will soon be available.

Dec 24 2017

Deck the Halls with Little Buildings

The Souvenir Building Society Facebook page has been awash in pictures of holiday ornaments. Take a look!

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Oct 10 2017

CHICAGO 2017 PHOTOS: Rare Souvenir Buildings and More ……..

The stories are swell at a SBCS Convention “Show and Tell.”

Original Irish Hill Tower and Gray Tower, Lenawee County, MI. Souvenir Buildings / Salt and Pepper Shakers.

Bill H. and Michael E. brought the tale and the evidence of the IRISH HILLS TOWERS saga. Apparently in the 1920s a farmer, who owned part of a hill that the Michigan Observation Company (MOC) sought to purchase for a tourist-based observation tower, refused to sell his portion. Whereupon, the enterprising company purchased the adjoining piece of land and built the IRISH HILLS OBSERVATORY and opened it to the public in September of 1924, to great success. By November of the same year (just 2 months later), the envious nay-sayer had built his own tower adjacent to the first and made it a bit higher to attract the tourists to his site. Reacting to challenge the Michigan Observation Company added a second observation platform atop the first and called their tower the ORIGINAL IRISH HILLS TOWER. The farmer then evened the height of his tower with the “Original” and named his tower the “Gray” tower. MOC then countered with the threat of tearing down their tower and erecting a metal edifice so large that the challenge would be over. From then until the 1950s the towers were competing attractions. In the 1950s they were operated as one attraction with a gift shop between. As of today, they are on the US National Register of Historic Places. Bill’s and Michael’s Salt and Pepper Shakers depict the Original Irish Hills Tower and the Gray Tower.

Sofitel Hotel (a former City Hall), Amsterdam; Dordrecht City Hall, Netherlands.

From the KLM and Goedewaagen collection of Simon H. comes a pair of rare Goedewaagen porcelain buildings. The building on the left is the Sofitel Legend Grand Amsterdam Hotel, the site and building has a long and storied history, prior to it’s re-incarnation as a hotel. The building on the left is the City of Hall of Dordrecht.

McPherson Opera House, McPherson, KS; Log Cabin (wood box interior); University Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

Piazza San Pietro and St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, Italy

Steve B. and Terry M. went building hunting with Joe K. at the start of the weekend in Chicago. To the delight of all, the finds were special and the swapping even better. Terry found the very nice St. Peter’s Basilica in the same mall that Joe found the University Hall and a mutually-agreed-upon swap was executed.

McPherson Opera House souvenir building and as pictured in a iPhone photograph.

Steve also shared his acquisition of the McPherson Opera House and the photo he had taken of the actual building.

There are lots of convention photos to be seen in the Members Only portion of the website. Head on over to MEMBERS ONLY / CONVENTION PHOTOS and click one of more of the links under 2017.

Sep 30 2017

KNEISEL COLLECTION: Initial Museum Donation

The MUSEUM OF ARCHITECTURE at TDCP Changa Manga Resort, Punjab, Pakistan is the first recipient of souvenir buildings from the Kneisel Collection.

A portion of the Cultural Foundation of Pakistan powerpoint presentation.

In June of 2016, Robert Kneisel willed his collection of some 4000 plus souvenir buildings and statues to the Souvenir Building Collectors Society. The SBCS formed a Kneisel Collection Team spearheaded by Chris S. to address the disposition of such a magnificent gift. The team quickly determined that the bulk of the quality buildings could form the basis of a permanent display of souvenir buildings in one or more museums. Planning toward this end began in August of 2016.

Serendipitously, in March of 2017, the Society was approached, through the SBCSociety website, by Muhammad Raza Kahn, President of the Cultural Foundation of Pakistan. He told of the establishment of a Museum of Architecture and requested, from the Souvenir Building Collectors Society, the donation of architectural models of world landmarks for a display to be entitled “EXPLORE CULTURE THROUGH ARCHITECTURE.

Joe K. and Chris S. took the lead in contacting and working with Mr. Kahn, who provided the Kneisel Collection Team with a powerpoint presentation detailing the plans for the Museum of Architecture and how it our small buildings would become part of the larger exhibit. Click below to view the presentation (remember to hit the arrow to make it run):

https://book2rock.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/cultural-foundation-of-pakistan-museum-of-architecture-adited-copy.key

The team confirmed the suitablility of the request and selected an array of iconic world miniature buildings as the donation. The selected items made their way from Los Angeles, through Canada, and on to Pakistan, where they arrived in September 2017. They will be displayed at the ModelTown Museum in Lahore, Pakistan.

Souvenir Buildings on their way!

Empire State Building

Hamburg Rathaus

Houses of Parliament

Knoxville Sun Tower

Kolner Dom

Mosque

Pagoda

Parthenon

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Russian Orthodox Church

Sears Willis Tower

Seattle Space Needle

St. Peters Basilica

Statue of Liberty

Trylon and Perisphere, NYC 1939

Unisphere NYC 1964

United States Capitol

Washington Monument

Chrysler Building

Eiffel Tower

While this story is about the donation to the Museum of Architecture in Pakistan, it is also a reminder that SBCS is looking for other museums or appropriate institutions (library, university or college, city hall) who are interested in permanently acquiring souvenir buildings for display. If you have a suggestion or two – Send the Kneisel Collection Committee an email.