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This year’s Souvenir Building Collectors Society’s (SBCS) convention this past weekend was a huge success. Held in Pasadena, California, the festivities began on Friday with an architectural tour of the city of Pasadena in the afternoon. In the evening, we moved to the home of SBSC member Bob K. His neighborhood of bungalow homes on a tree-lined street was a lead-in for was to come for the many architecture fans. Bob has an entire room dedicated to his impressive collection. Members crowded into the glass-display-case-filled room which were equally crowded with rare souvenir buildings. At one point, Bob pointed out and discussed some of the more unusual replicas and regaled us with their history. I particularly liked that all versions of a particular building were grouped together. This made the unique features of various versions evident and fascinating in commparison. In the garage, Bob set up a table of free miniature buildings and in the backyard, society members enjoyed a cookout and buffet dinner. 
Saturday morning began early with a short business meeting and then the ever-popular souvenir buildings sale and swap meet. About 10-12 members set up tables to sell and trade. And sell they did to enthusiastic buyers. Building Collector publisher Dave R. then led a workshop about ‘Photographing Your Buildings.’ (I will also write a post about this subject on this blog soon for those who could not attend the convention) 
The group will then moved the Bel Air home of member Ken W. to view his collection and have lunch. Ken displays his buildings and monuments in various locations around the house and always in tasteful arrangements to compliment the home and furnishings. It’s clear that some of the interior design centered on the amazing collection displayed on custom shelving. Most impressive, where the many large monument replicas and Grand Tour pieces.
In the afternoon, we car pooled to Anthony T.’s home in Burbank who demonstrated how he repairs souvenir buildings. He can repair the all too frequent broken tips and cracks to replacing missing statue figures and inkwell lids. Sometimes he sculpts a new piece or creates a mold and casts the missing item. He knows souvenir replicas well because he is the force behind Microcosms which produced many sought after miniatures.
Saturday evening’s dinner and cocktail hour back at the hotel began with a live auction of buildings. Six or Seven replicas were auctioned to eager collectors. Winners were announced for the first-ever publicity contest. I will write about this in more detail soon. After dinner, the miniature building raffle was conducted in a new and more efficient manor. Everyone has fun during this lively event.
Early risers got opportunity to visit the Rose Bowl Flea Market Sunday morning to search for possible new additions to their collection. Finally, some members took a train to downtown Los Angeles for an architectural walking tour. It’s seemed everyone had a great time meeting new friends, seeing old friends, learning something new and hopefully adding something to their collection. Bob K. did a terriffic job hosting and organizing this year's convention. If you missed them, check out my other posts about building replicas from Los Angeles. Did you attend this year’s convention? Have a story or memory you’d like to share? Write about it using the comments link below.
This post will conclude my 10-part series on miniature buildings from the L.A. area. I hope to see 
many of you at the SBCS convention in Los Angeles on June 12th. Infocus Tech contiues to produce a variety of Los Angeles area building replicas which are still available including: Eastern Columbia, Richfield Building and the Carnation Building, the Library Tower, Hollywood Bank and Bullock Wilshire building. If you missed it, also check out my post about the Coast Federal Savings Bank (with the large rabbit hugging the building) which is also in L.A. Do you know of other souvenir buildings produced of Los Angeles buildings I may have overlooked? If so, let me know via the ‘comments’ link below or send me some photos via email.
Microcosms produced a miniature metal replica of the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport in the 1990’s. The Chrome-finished souvenir building measures about 5" round and about 2" high. The real Theme Building opened in 1961 and is an example of the Mid-Century modern influenced design school known as "Googie" or "Populuxe." The striking white building resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. It was designed by a team of architects and engineers headed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman, that also included Paul Williams and Welton Becket. The initial design of the building was created by James Langenheim, of the Pereira-Luckman firm. The restaurant was once a revolving restaurant which provided a rotating view of the urban area of the LAX airport and is suspended beneath two intersecting arches that form the legs. Like most of the few revolving restaurants built in the early 1960s, the huge cost of maintaining the revolving machinery forced the conversion to a conventional, stationary venue, so patrons no longer benefit from the once spectacular continuously changing view that could once be seen from the 360° windows of this unique structure. The original design for the airport created by Pereira & Luckman in 1959 had all the terminal buildings and parking structures connected to a huge glass dome, which would serve as a central hub for traffic circulation. The plan was eventually scaled down considerably and the terminals were constructed elsewhere on the property. The Theme Building was subsequently built to mark the spot intended for the dome structure, as a reminder of the original plan. The appearance of the building as a single homogenous structure is a cleverly constructed illusion. The building's two crossed arches actually consist of four steel-reinforced concrete legs that extend only as high as the restaurant, and a hollow, stucco-covered steel truss constituting the upper half.The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a cultural and historical monument in 1992. A $4 million renovation, with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997. At one time, tourists and passengers were able to take the elevator up to the roof of the Theme Building, but after the September 11 attacks, the rooftop was closed off for security reasons.
This year’s Souvenir Building Collectors Society’s (SBCS) convention this past weekend was a huge success. Held in Pasadena, California, the festivities began on Friday with an architectural tour of the city of Pasadena in the afternoon. In the evening, we moved to the home of SBSC member Bob K. His neighborhood of bungalow homes on a tree-lined street was a lead-in for was to come for the many architecture fans. Bob has an entire room dedicated to his impressive collection. Members crowded into the glass-display-case-filled room which were equally crowded with rare souvenir buildings. At one point, Bob pointed out and discussed some of the more unusual replicas and regaled us with their history. I particularly liked that all versions of a particular building were grouped together. This made the unique features of various versions evident and fascinating in commparison. In the garage, Bob set up a table of free miniature buildings and in the backyard, society members enjoyed a cookout and buffet dinner. 
