Trainer Collection Video

Souvenir building collector Bill Trainer has over 2000 miniature building replicas displayed all over his home. The 2008 Souvenir Building Collector’s convention concluded with a Sunday lunch and tour of the Trainer collection in early June. I interviewed Bill during the SBCS convention visit to his home and created this video for your enjoyment. Bill was a terrific host and has an amazing collection which he and his late wife, Dixie, assembled over 28 years. The couple was instrumental in forming and organizing the Souvenir Building Collector’s Society. As this year’s SBCS convention came to a close, everyone left with new buildings and new friends.

Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

I was delighted to find this metal souvenir building in an antique store recently and was also surprised to learn the museum building still exists. Too often it seems, buildings from this era were torn down. The rare, low-profiled pot metal building replica was probably made in Japan in the 1960’s. Located in Chicago, the real Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) was originally built as the Palace of Fine Arts for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition. The Palace of Fine Arts was designed by Charles B. Atwood and was constructed with a brick substructure benith a plaster facade. After the World's Fair, it initially housed the Columbian Museum, which evolved into the Field Museum of Natural History. After a series of other uses, the building became the science museum. During its conversion into the MSI, the building's exterior was re-cast in limestone, retaining its 1893 Beaux Arts style. Meanwhile, the interior was redesigned in Art Moderne style. In June of this year, the museum celebrated its 75th year.

Salt & Pepper Buildings

We all have at least a few in our collections…salt and pepper dispensers in the shape of buildings and monuments. S&P holders can be a subset of your souvenir building collection or buildings can be a branch of your S&P shaker collection. A few S&P building replicas I have only seen as condiment dispensers and not as larger, traditional souvenir building. Made in metal, plastic, ceramic, bakelite and resin, S&P buildings and monuments come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Like thermometers or pencil sharpeners, these replicas play duel roles on our stage-like display shelves. S&P collector hint: although you may be tempted, don’t put salt in your metal building replicas. The sodium will corrode the metal and damage the souvenir.

Ms. Liberty’s Star

Normally a common souvenir to find, Statue of Liberty replicas can sometimes have variations which make them a bit more unusual and interesting. I bought this one because the souvenir building replica includes the star-shaped structure which surrounds Ms. Liberty. The real statue stands upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which was originally built for the War of 1812.) The United States Lighthouse Board had responsibility for the operation of the Statue of Liberty until 1901. After that, care and operation of the Statue was placed under the War Department. A Presidential Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a National Monument on October 15th, 1924 and the monument's boundary was set at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In 1933, the administration of the National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe's Island and in 1956, the island's name was changed to Liberty Island. Do you have an uncommon replica of a typically common souvenir?

A Handful of Buildings

A collection of building from Pisa, Italy rests in the palm of a resin hand. A woman gets rather cozy with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. These are some of the more bizarre souvenir buildings I’ve seen. What do they mean? Who would buy them? Is that the golden hand of God delivering Pisa to the Italians? Do these odd creations only come from Italy? If you know of other bizarre souvenir building replicas, let me know in the ‘comments’ link below or send me photos of other unusual building replicas you’ve seen.

Syracuse Savings Bank

This souvenir building coin bank was made in the 1930’s by A.C. Rehberger and a later replica was produced by Banthrico. The Rehberger has a distinctive point to the center tower, whereas, the Banthrico version’s tower does not come to a point. The building replicas were given away to customers who opened an account. The real Syracuse Savings Bank Building was designed by Joseph Lyman Silsbee, who was 26 years old at the time. It was built adjacent to the Erie Canal in 1875 in the upstate New York city. At 170 feet tall, it was the tallest building in Syracuse and contained the first passenger elevator in Syracuse which was a curiosity and drew visitors. Following the closing of the Erie Canal, the interior of the Gothic building was cleared and rebuilt in the 1930's to reinforce the structure with steel framing. Syracuse Savings Bank occupied this building for more than 100 years and today it’s owned by Fleet Bank.

Lady Liberty’s Little Sisters

From 1949 to 1951, over 200 little liberties were placed in parks and municipal areas by Boy Scout Troops around the country. Building Collector reader Scott sent me this tip and found a site with photos and locations of many of the statue replicas. The original project was launched in 1949 by the late Jack Whitaker, a Kansas City, Mo., Scout volunteer. The stamped copper statues, built around wooden frames, were made by Friedley-Voshardt in Chicago. To celebrate Scouting’s 40th anniversary theme, "Strengthen the Arm of Liberty," troops purchased the statues for about $350. Standing over 8 feet tall without the base, the Statues of Liberty weigh 290 pounds and are constructed of sheet copper. Each town provided its own base, so the designs vary from town to town. According to the Boy Scouts of America National Council, miniature statues were placed in 39 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone and the Philippines. Weather and vandals have claimed some metal replicas and some are being restored. Currently, about 100 little liberties have been accounted for by SOS! (Save Outdoor Sculpture!), a joint project of Heritage Preservation and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.