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Rare souvenir building replicas are rare because only a few were made or just a few survived. This building is more than just rare, it’s both unique and expensive. As a tribute to the citizens of New York City, Indian designer Nayna Mehta created a special World Trade Center building replica as her own way of expressing her grief about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Nayna and her team created the towers using the lost-wax casting technique and made each of the surrounding towers by hand. The "Twin Towers" are made of 18kt. yellow gold which represents purity. Inside each tower are four solid pillars of 18kt. gold measuring 185 mm in height. The piece's base and surrounding structures, including North & South Plaza buildings, the U.S. Customs office and hotel, are also made of 18kt. yellow gold. All together, the gold weight totals almost 48 ounces. The windows, all 110 floors on each tower, are made of 0.02 carat, 1.4 mm princess cut diamonds with excellent and uniform color/clarity grades. Mehta, a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America, designed and created the miniature building which took 25 weeks, 38 artists, designers and technicians to complete. As a final touch, she engraved a poem, written with her family, into the base of the piece where the Towers courtyard once was:
Those innocent souls, we never forgot
United us all in a single breath.
We shed not tears, only our doubts,
Vowed to destroy all vicious clouts.
Stronger we rose, with a will so bold,
As hard as diamonds and as pure as gold.
Victorious we emerged, its plain to see,
So come join this anthem and sing with me.
God Bless America 
I stopped by the White House Visitor’s Center, which is a few blocks from the White House, recently to see what might be of interest to Building Collector readers. Visitors can see a 3-D model of The President’s House by Rebecca Fuller, of N.C. an artist’s recreation based on written accounts of the pres house as the White house was then known at the beginning of Jefferson’s administration in 1801. In the last stages of completion, as you can still see construction on the grounds, the model represents the house when Jefferson first saw it after being sworn in on March 4.The visitors center gift shop, and the online version, sells a few items worth noting. Reproduced to scale, the Sandstone Model of the White House incorporates sandstone from the same Aquia, Virginia, quarry that produced the stone used to build the exterior walls of the real building more than 200 years ago. The North Portico and drive are seen above and the South Portico is pictured 
in detail. The sandstone model sits on a wooden base. A flat metal Bookmark of the White House is also available. As is a sandstone ornament with a detailed reproduction of the north and south façades of the White House enhanced with 24 karat gold finished brass. Also of interests was a White House Service Plate which was part of President Clinton’s set made in the year 2000 and features a gold White House design in the center.
As the new President and First Family settle into their new residence, let’s explore the history, architecture and souvenir buildings of the White House. While not as popular with various souvenir makers as the U.S. Capital Building, the White House replicas are still varied in design and material. I’ve seen replica white houses made of pot metal, pewter, ceramic and resin. Functions include White House pencil sharpeners and antique lead coin banks. During the Reagan era, a White House jelly bean jars, were created to commemorate Ron’s love of the jellied candies. The real White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States and located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. In 1791, working with George Washington, artist and engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant prepared a city plan for Washington, D.C., reserving eighty-two acres for a "President’s Park.” Included in the L’Enfant’s original design was a "President’s Palace" was approximately four times the size of the present White House. Washington chose the deisng of Architect James Hoban, an Irishman living in South Carolina. Washington was not entirely pleased with the original Hoban submission, however; he found it too small, lacking ornament, and not fitting the nation's president. On Washington's recommendation the house was enlarged by thirty percent; a large reception hall, the present East Room, was added. This was likely inspired by the large reception room at Mount Vernon. The building Hoban designed is verifiably influenced by the first and second floors of Leinster House, in Dublin, Ireland, which later became the seat of the Oireachtas -the Irish parliament. The first official White House guide, published in 1962, suggested a link between Hoban's design for the South Portico, and Château de Rastignac, a neoclassical country house located in La Bachellerie in the Dordogne region of France and designed by Mathurin Salat. The structure is made of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style. Construction of the White House began in 1792 and was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800. The total cost was $232,372. The White House was the largest house in the United States until after the Civil War. On August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812, British troops burned the White House in retaliation for an earlier burning of Canadian government buildings in York, Ontario, by the United States. Over its long history, the White House has undergone many changes and redesigns.Today, the White House has 132 rooms, including 16 family-guest rooms, 1 main kitchen, 1 diet kitchen, 1 family kitchen, and 35 bathrooms. The 6 floors make up approximately 55,000 square feet. The term White House is regularly used as a metonym for the Executive Office of the President of the United States and for the president's administration and advisors in general. The building was originally referred to variously as the "President's Palace", "Presidential Mansion", or "President's House" The earliest evidence of the public calling it the "White House" was recorded in 1811 A legend emerged that during the rebuilding of the structure white paint was applied to mask the burn damage it had suffered, giving the building its namesake hue. The name "Executive Mansion" was used in official contexts until President Theodore Roosevelt established the formal name by having "White House–Washington" engraved on the stationery in 1901.The Executive Mansion of the United States is far more than a temporary home for the family who lives there for four or eight years. It is now a museum containing priceless works of art and furnishings, a national monument open to 2 million tourists a year, a guest hotel for entertaining visitors of state and, in recent years, an impregnable fortress for protecting the life of the commander-in-chief." The property is owned by the National Park Service and in 2007 it was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects's List of America's Favorite Architecture. 
In honor of President Barak Obama’s inauguration, The Design Studio of Constantin and Laurene Leon Boym is selling a “democratic blue” white house. Their online store is offering a limited edition of 1000 numbered, hand-cast blue resin Obama White House building to commemorate the historic event. In case you missed it, here’s my earlier post about Boym’s Buildings of Disaster series. The studio has added new replicas to their Buildings of Disaster series including (click on the “online store” link on the left) Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, the University of Texas Tower and Greenwich Village Townhouse. Here is an interesting video about their studio’s work, philosophy and the souvenirs they create.
As Barack Obama takes the oath of office and becomes the 44th President of the United States on January 20th, the U.S. Capital will be a majestic backdrop for the historic event. I would rank the U.S. Capital building in the top four most common souvenir building replicas – with the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower being the remaining three fighting for this distinction of commonality. Because souvenirs of the capital are so popular, there are an incredible number of versions created over the years. Multiple makers, styles, scales have been sold and in almost every material you can imagine. U.S. Capital Building Jewelry boxes, inkwells, candle snuffers, S&Ps, pencil sharpeners, charms, banks, and sports trophies to name a few. I’ve also seen soft white capital foam domes, Perhaps President Obama might need one of these as a stress reliever when he begins to work with Congress. There are three building replicas which appear to be from the same maker due to similarities. They all stand on legs and have a box below. One opens to reveal a cloth-padded compartment for jewelry, another is a coin bank and the third and most unusual opens to reveal duel inkwells. One of the most interesting U.S. Capital souvenir replicas, in my opinion, is the one made for the 1923 Shriners convention. The 2-inch tall metal
replica has a red fez on top of the dome, set on an angle…just so. The front of the building replica reads “Capital Washington” and back reads “1923 (copyright) A. M.(or H?) DONDERO.” I’ve done some reach about this history of this unusual metal building replica. The Shriners held an Imperial Session in Washington, D.C in 1923. As a bonus that year, they had one of their own in the White House, President and Shriner Warren G. Harding who reviewed the convention parade. This replica is wonderful because, not only is it dated, but it includes the fez to identify the occasion for which it was made. The red fez with a black tassel, the Shrine's official headgear, has been handed down through the ages. It derives its name from the place where it was first manufactured — the holy city of Fez, Morocco. Some historians claim it dates back to about A.D. 980, but the name of the fez, or tarboosh, does not appear in Arabic literature until around the 14th century. One of the earliest references to the headgear is in "Arabian Nights." Check out some of my older posts about Capital souvenirs including: Chocolate capital, a desk set, cigar humidor, trophies, and Capital history. Do you know of other unusual U.S. Capital souvenir replicas?
After years of delay and millions over budget, the Visitor Center at the U.S. Capital opened to the public recently. I went to check it out and see what might be of interest to building collectors and architecture fans. The center was constructed underground on the east side of the building so as not to detract from the appearance of the Capitol and of the grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874. At nearly 580,000 square feet on three levels, The CVC is the largest project in the Capitol’s 215-year history and is approximately three quarters the size of the Capitol itself. Its an enormous, granite-lined open space with exhibition halls, theaters, gifts shops and a restaurant. Of interest to architectural fans include the touchable, scale-model, cross-section of the Capitol Dome with views of the exterior and interior structure. A large replica of the Statue of Freedom, which stands on the top of the U.S. Capital dome, is a centerpiece. A series of 3-D models display the changes to Capital Hill from a forested area, to the building of the capital, changes to the mall and then the appearance of the Supreme Court and Library of Congress buildings. The two gift shops were a disappointment however. There were only a few items of interest to building collectors where a blown-glass capital dome ornament, large white resin dome bookends and a variety of white resin capital replicas. 
The eyes of the world are beginning to focus on Washington D.C. this month. When Barack Obama is sworn in as the President of the United States on the steps of the U.S. Capital on January 20th, everyone will want to witness this historic event. Today, I’ll begin a multi-part series on souvenirs of the Capital, White House and other places of interest to souvenir building collectors.
This scale model of downtown Washington D.C. including a miniature White House and Washington monument sits on a 40x40 foot planning map that is spread out on the floor of the D.C. Armory. The large map is being used to help plan Inaugural logistics for the January 20th Inauguration of President elect Barack Obama. The city is expecting one of the largest crowds ever for a presidential inauguration.
Artist David Beck creates mixed-media pieces of interest to building collectors and architectural fans. Beck was commissioned to create MVSEVM to commemorate the reopening of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C in 2006. When closed, the model takes the shape of the Old Patent Office Building where the museum now resides, but it opens to reveal 
miniature artifacts and artworks as well as drawers containing smaller models. The size for the miniature building is approximately 32 x 55 x 50 in. (81.3 x 139.7 x 127.0 cm). Another Beck sculpture is named Movie Palace. Its an elaborate kinetic sculpture that combines Hollywood escapism with the innocent pleasures of windup toys. Beck remembers movie going as a social experience that is disappearing from American culture today. Crafting this lost world in miniature creates the kind of magic that films once had, when they transported audiences to distant lands and improbable adventures. The building combines the Renaissance, Moorish, and Egyptian styles that movie houses shamelessly borrowed in the good old days. Reliefs on the outside of the dome represent film noir, Westerns, musicals and other genres from Hollywood's golden age. Inside, animated figures talk and eat popcorn while King Kong swats at biplanes from the mast of the Empire State Building. Beck chose a variety of materials to create Movie Palace including horn and bone. The shining dome has been water gilded. Tiny people in the audience balance drinks and popcorn as they try to find the best seats. The piece measures 84 x 40 x 22 in. (213.4 x 101.6 x 55.9 cm). David Beck also created L'Opera. Do know of other artists creating architectural pieces?
This highly-prized metal souvenir building and inkwell was created in 1924 to commemorate the 60th Anniversary (1864-1924) of the Travelers Indemnity and Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut. The detail of this building replica is incredible with window panes and even a 3rd floor pedestrian bridge between buildings included. The tallest of the four buildings in the complex stands about 7" high and the base measures 5 1/4" x 5." Around the four sides of the base are the words: "The Travelers Insurance Company" "1864 The Travelers Hartford Connecticut 1924 " "The Travelers Indemnity Company" and finally "60th Anniversary Convention” In very tiny lettering a makers mark reading “Whitehead Hoag” and “Made in the USA” are also written on the beveled base. The original finish has a wonderful aged bronze patina. Recently, three of these inkwells sold on ebay - all in different condition and all for different prices. The first had a very damaged base corner and was missing the inkwell cover but included the glass insert. The auction ended at $170. The second Travelers was in excellent condition, but was missing glass inkwell insert. The ebay auction ended on this one at $710. The third also was missing the glass inkwell insert and the tip on the tallest building had been broken at come point and then professionally replaced by Microcosms. The ebay auction
ended on this one at $1,325 - proving the variations in condition and auction timing can yield wildly different results. Other versions of the Travelers insurance building include those encased in Lucite. The company, now part of The Travelers Companies, has had many firsts in the history of insurance, including the first automobile, commercial airline and space travel policies. The first section of the Travelers building, built in 1906, was the Renaissance Revival-style structure facing Main Street in Hartford. The building began to expand southwards with the 527-foot pointed tower, featuring classical influences designed by architect Donn Barber. This 24-story section was completed in 1919, at which time it was the tallest building in New England and the seventh tallest in the world. In 1963, after the removal of some adjacent buildings between the tower and the Wadsworth Atheneum, a new grand entrance plaza was created facing south. At the 27th floor is a loggia, serving as an open observation area, the four corners of its roof being supported by Doric columns. The roof of the loggia, or cupola, is pyramidal in shape, sloping toward a finial 
surmounted by a cluster of gold-colored metal globes varying from four to 20 inches in diameter. The finial was damaged in a 1996 wind storm, and no longer sits atop the tower. Above the cupola, at the 36th floor level, is a beacon which emits a bluish light, visible for many miles, serving as a guide for night-flying aircraft. Now called the Travelers Tower, the building’s observation deck is open to the public on weekdays from May through October, free of charge. Falcons seem to also enjoy the tower’s view. It became a nesting site for Peregrine Falcons, an endangered species.
Most often, souvenir building are mass-produced and sold in gift shops. How often do you see a hand-made building replica? I’ve seen a few, but mostly made of wood. This Skyscraper Lighter Set appears to be machined from aluminum blocks by a skilled craftsman. It was auctioned recently via ebay and sold for $1,325. The seller guessed it might have been from the 1940s and said he, “just happened onto this building and thought it would be interesting to sell on ebay.” His instincts were correct, he got a great price and some building collector got a unique piece. This Souvenir Building Skyscraper Lighter is about 6 5/8" tall. Made to be a smoking set, the top lifts off to reveal a lighter, the bottom right is a removable ashtray and the back narrow building has a carved-out slot for a book of matches. The one mystery is which skyscraper does this lighter represent? It seems too detailed to be generic. Do you know which skyscraper this replica is modeled after? Do you know of other unique or hand-made building replicas? If so, let us know via the ‘comments’ link below this post.
