125th Anniversary of the Eiffel Tower & Souvenir Replicas

In 1889, the Eiffel Tower officially opened in Paris built as the entrance arch for that year's World's Fair 125 years ago. More than 250 workers erected the structure, which included 18,038 wrought-iron sections that were bolted together with 2.5 million rivets. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, the 1,000-foot tall landmark was not an immediate hit, with many at the time questioning its aesthetic value. Originally built as a temporary structure, the tower has stood the test of time. Today, it is an iconic Parisian monument that defines the city's landscape and remains the tallest structure in France. Miniature souvenirs of the Eiffel Tower could be the most common building replica produced. Tourists and architectural fans love the romance of the Tour Eiffel. Replicas have been made in every material, every color and every imaginable dual purpose. Sewing pin cushions, key chains, gyroscope top stands, ring holders, candles, lamps, bottles, ash trays, Salt & Pepper Shakers, needle cases, banks, and even a hookah smoker. Some models are cheap, while others are finely details and expensive. Some replicas can be dated by their details. When the tower was first built, the first level had a series of domed arches or

scallops, but were been removed as part of the complete rearrangement of the first floor in preparation for the International Exposition of 1937. So, if you have an older, lead replica showing the arches, you can safely believe it was made before 1937. Eiffel tower souvenirs even stared in an old movie named "Lavender Hill Mob."  Movie star Christie Brinkley loves Eiffel tower replicas. Back in 2008, a staircase from the Eiffel Tower was auctioned. Check out this data-filled and informative video about the Eiffel tower.

The New York Times on Souvenirs

The New York Times travel section published an interesting piece about souvenirs. The author, Dominique Browning, writes, "My older son, who now loves to travel, developed a strong affection for souvenirs of world monuments when he was a child. By the time he was in junior high school his night table featured a neat display of miniature monuments: the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, a Leaning Tower of Pisa, a Big Ben. None of which he had yet seen. My son’s souvenirs — he was easy to shop for when I went on business trips — were anticipatory, promises of travel…" The article includes a photo gallery of what travelers buy.

Big Ben Renamed After Queen

Will it be known as Big Birtha or Large Liz? The tower housing Big Ben will be renamed after the Queen of England in honor of her Diamond Jubilee. The famous central-London landmark is described by the Palace of Westminster as the Clock Tower. ‘Big Ben’ is actually the name of the large bell inside. I’ve written before about souvenir buildings of the tower. 

Iwo Jima Souvenir Controversy

Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. In the U.S., we commemorate this on Veteran's Day each November 11th and honor all of our country's vets. This year, will be even more significant as the date will be 11/11/11. It’s amazing what you can learn with one clue to get you started. Reader Scott D. sent me a digital copy of an old UPI wire service photograph from June 1966. In the photo, then Congressman Charles S. Joelson, Democrat from N.J., holds two metal souvenirs of in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The congressman is shocked that the miniatures of the memorial are made in Japan. Seems he as upset that the U.S. fought the Japanese for the island of Iwo Jima, and then in 1966, the souvenirs were then made in Japan. It’s an age-old and reoccurring controversy about where things are made: overseas or domestically. We can also glean from the caption that there was a souvenir shop or stand near the Iwo Jima Memorial at one time, but is no longer there. Another controversial souvenir from Iwo Jima is beach sand. I’ve written in the past about the Iwo Jima Memorial and souvenirs.

Live Webcams on Statue of Liberty

Happy 125th birthday Lady Liberty! Your gift? A party and five cameras so the world can watch your every non-move. A company has mounted webcams which will be switched on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, during a ceremony to commemorate the statue’s dedication. The cameras, which will be on 24 hours, 7 days a week, were donated to the National Park Service by Earthcam Inc., a New Jersey-based company that manages a network of webcams around the world. The webcams on her torch will let online viewers gaze out at New York Harbor and read the tablet in her hands or see visitors on the grounds of the island below in real time. Friday's ceremony also will be marked by a water flotilla, actress Sigourney Weaver reading Lazarus' poem and a naturalization ceremony for 125 candidates for citizenship representing over 40 countries.

Buildings Damaged in Virginia Earthquake

The National Cathedral’s stone ornamentation and statues were damaged and the Washington Monument is cracked. Caused by the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that rocked the east cost and is the Worst Earthquake in Virginia since 1897. This was a rare event for the east coast that not only shook the ground, but shook up residents who are not used to earthquakes. Residents of California are used to such events and are somewhat prepared. When I returned from work after the quake, the only change I saw to my souvenir buildings was a few off kilter. A tall CN Tower had fallen over and a replica of the Jesus statue in Rio was resting on another building. I surveyed fellow Virginia building collectors about damage to their collections and they range from lots of damage to very little. Harry said, “Well, my San Francisco and LA buildings did just fine since they are built to the latest earthquake codes. Actually the only thing that fell off my shelf was a printed circuit board I had out, but no breakage. I was working in my basement home office when it hit and it sounded first like the air handler was trying to shake loose from its mounts. It was really loud. It sounded like a huge truck rumbling by outside. It was all over in 10 seconds or so.” Russell also fared well through the event, “A number of my pieces, especially on the second floor were shaken off their shelves and onto the floor. Fortunately, none broke but was interesting to see what pieces moved and which ones stayed in place. Also had a number of books come down off their shelves. Quite an experience!”

Brad, however, suffered the worst of the Arlington collectors. Photos show his tall display cases shaken, doors open, buildings on the floor and a few broken. “My National Cathedral spire broke off too – coincidence? WTC fell and was the only building that was completely destroyed, kinda freaky,” Brad said. “It felt like the entire house was coming down where I am, although I am on a large hill and at the end of a row of townhomes. I ran out thinking the entire house was indeed about to come down. We have cracks in our walls, a neighbor had three windows blow out, a street lamp fell down on some parked car on the street, and two trees were knocked down as well. We haven't had gas since the earthquake due to a break somewhere.” He also saw an entire side of brick house down nearby.

101 Stories iPhone App

As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the horrific events of September 11^th, one man is hoping to bring back the towers, if only virtually. New Yorker Brian August wants to build a mobile phone app called 101 Stories. Users can point their smart phone from any NYC-area location to create a photograph with an outline of the WTC. A message from the user can appear with the photo on an online map. Its an interesting high-tech way of commemorating the anniversary. By allowing anyone to create their own perspective and vision of the twin towers, the mapping system and comments may produce a poignant body of work. Thanks to Building Collector reader Howie G. for sending me this link.

Unisphere at The 1964 World's Fair

They sat silent and motionless for many years. Now, the fountains surrounding the Unisphere Globe, built for the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows in Queens, N.Y.C., have been restored and reinvigorated. Reader Howie G. sent this tip about the restoration of a grand aspect of this park. As this year's U.S. Open is about to begin, the city spent $2 million on joint and

pump repairs and a new coat of paint for the fountain's surface. The water works were shut down when they began leaking into the nearby Queens Museum of Art. The water features encircle the Unisphere which was built as a centerpiece of the '64 Worlds Fair. Architect Gilmore D. Clarke designed the spherical world globe, topographical relief and fountain. Made of a stainless steel cage, steel mesh, granite and colored lights, the 12-story-high globe was the center piece for the USS Steel Corporation's exhibit. It is the world's largest global structure, rising 140 feet and weighing 700,000 pounds. Commissioned to celebrate the beginning of the space age, it was conceived and constructed as the Theme Symbol of the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. The Theme of the World's Fair was "Peace Through Understanding" and the Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence. What would a World's Fair be without souvenirs? Various versions of souvenir buildings were made of the Unisphere in many sizes and materials. I've seen ceramic coin banks, S&P shakers, trays and other variations.

Empire State Building Shoes

These shoes were made for walkin' There gonna walk all over new. New York that is. With replicas of the Empire State building as heels, Geox is launching a limited-edition line of shoes this month. The shoes will step you back $230 and will be sold at the Geox’s store on West 34th Street, just across from the landmark that inspired them. Styles include a leopard-print peep-toe and a purple sequined pump. Geox is paying homage to New York and its history, “with its thousands of lights and illuminated skyscrapers which form an incomparable and perfect skyline.” The bridge and tunnel crowd could be stylin' in these shoes during their commute. Lets just hope they don't fall, King Kong like, from the sky-scraping 5″ heels. Turns out, others have also been inspired by the building and shoe combination like this Chrysler Building heel drawing.

Architect Bruce Graham Died

Designer of Chicago's John Hancock and Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) buildings died Saturday at his home in Florida at the age of 84. Howie alerted me to this story about the American Architect Bruce Graham. The Willis Tower, which was renamed last year for a British insurance brokerage, remains the tallest building in the United States. The 110-story, 1,451-foot skyscraper reigned as the world's tallest building from 1973 to 1996, when it lost its title to the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Taller structures have since been erected. He designed another iconic Chicago landmark, the John Hancock Center. Unlike earlier skyscrapers, in which an internal cage of steel carried most of the load, the Hancock's exterior beams and X-shaped braces formed a rigid tube that did most of the heavy lifting. The arrangement was economical and the X-braces offered an instantly recognizable skyline image, silencing detractors who had likened the Hancock to an oil derrick. For the majority of his career, he headed the Chicago office Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the largest architectural firm in the United States. He was deeply involved with many aspects of developing the city of Chicago, from city planning, bringing great public art to the city and involvement in individual projects.

Collectors vs. Non-Collectors

A recent reader-written article in the Washington Post about a collector and his wife, who is definitely not a collector, made me think about this common point of contention. The author writes about his wife reaction, "my God, not another" look every time you add a little something to your collection? Is "What do you want that for?" often spoken in not-so-endearing terms. Or, "How much did that cost? You don't have any more room." You love to collect, but your spouse or significant other does not. You want to accumulate as many of items you are passionate about. By doing so; however, will this cause friction and the loss of passion between you and your loved one? What is an avid collector to do? The non-collectors call it junk, trash, cluttter. Whereas, we see a museum-quality display. Some non-collector tolerate collections...to a point. I've heard stories from collectors who hide their newly-found items, thereby avoiding any conflict. In the past, I've written about collecting and the psychology of collecting. Do you have a collector / collectionless story to share? Let us know via the 'Comments' link below.

Florida Condo to be Imploded Sunday

The saying goes, out with the old and in with the new. But when the old is 30-story structure, getting it out is no easy task. A controlled implosion is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday) morning in West Palm Beach Florida. Reader Howie G. sent me this tip about the fate hurricane-damaged, uninhabited condo tower at 1515 Flagler Drive. The implosion is expected to take just 6.5 seconds to bring the building down - making it the third-tallest building in the United States to be demolished in this manner.

Dubai's Burj Khalifa Closes Observation Deck

The word's tallest building unexpectedly closed access to its record high observation deck due to electrical problems. Read more about it here. Below is a video of the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa observation deck.

Souvenir Buildings at Target

Calling them 'Decorative Figures,' Target stores are selling large metal replicas of some famous landmarks. I happened upon a few of them in the furniture aisle of my local Target and was pleasantly surprised. The Chrysler Building, Eiffel Tower and Big Ben are available in cast polished aluminum and the tallest is 16 inches high. They are for sale in stores and online and range in price from $19 to $34. The detail is not as crisp as I'd like, but its still very good and they look great. The needles on the Eiffel Tower and Chrysler Building replicas are a bit out of proportion, but at least they are not too thin and breakable. Buy two and use them as bookends. My suggestion is get them quickly because there were just a few at the store I went to and who knows how many were produced.

Brooklyn Flea Market: Site Report

After reading my post about the Brooklyn Flea market's move to One Hanson Place (formerly the Williamsburgh Savings Bank), building collector Joe K. visited the market. He and fellow Brooklyn resident Pat S. have great things to say about the market and he graciously sent me this report with photos:

"All I can say is, WOW. What a terrific setting for a flea market - absolutely magnificent.  They kept everything original in the main banking floor, but did remove a lot of wonderful mahogany paneling and other such details from the back and side offices.  (I had been there when it was still a working bank and knew the branch manager and got a behind the scenes tour). Pat and I walked there this afternoon. The flea market takes up the whole banking floor - including behind the teller's cages on both side and all the back room spaces on the first floor.  There are additional booths on the 2nd floor (overlooking the main floor - breath taking views - photos included).  In the basement, where the safe deposit department was located - are even more dealers and the food court.  The food court took up the entire inside of the old safe deposit vault - no easy feat as it was HUGE!!!  There are 3 gigantic vault doors to get into the safe deposit area (see photo - doors were 6 feet thick).  Behind the safe deposit vault were additional food vendors - great variety. The place was mobbed - many folks streaming in all the time.  It's in a terrific location - near many hip residential areas (Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Park Slope, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Heights, etc.) and much less of purely a tourist area like in DUMBO.  It is so easy to get to by public transit - sitting on top of Atlantic terminal - all the subways and the LIRR plus almost every bus line passes next to it or below it.  Also such an easy walk from all the neighborhoods. I enclosed some photos of buildings I found - so, yes - you can buy a souvenir building inside this souvenir building. I bought a replica of the City Hall of Toronto, Canada on a wooden base with a pen holder and original pen. It was made in Canada in 1965.  Way cool. Anyway, thank you for posting the article about this flea market moving to its new location.  I'll be back.  By the way - it's open both Saturday and Sunday." -Joe

Souvenir Building Injuries

Be careful, building replicas can be dangerous. In the wake of souvenir building throwing incident in which Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was hit in the face, we now learn that other people have been injured by building models as well. Scott D. sent me a few articles about these potentially hazardous collectibles. Doctors at St George's Hospital Medical School in London had to remove an metal Eiffel tower model from the skull of a 3 year old boy. According to the report, "He had tripped and fallen onto a metal model of the Eiffel Tower which then became rigidly lodged into his skull. He was transferred directly to the neurosurgical theatre for a craniotomy to remove the foreign body and debridement of the wound. Following this procedure he...made a good recovery on the paediatric intensive care unit." Also in London, a jogger had a nasty spill involving a metal Eiffel Tower key ring souvenir. Amy Preston was carrying her keys in her hand as she went jogging and when she fell, she landed onto the key ring resulting in two legs of the souvenir becoming embedded in her hand. I have a new respect, but not yet fear of my souvenir building collection. Its interesting that both of these incidents involved Eiffel Towers. I'm sure the pointy, dagger-lick shape of these tiny towers is the cause. Its also a very popular souvenir even for non-collectors. So be careful of your sharp souvenirs and the treacherous TV towers in your collection. In a strange twist to the attack on Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, the souvenir that was thrown has now become an even more  popular item the tourists and locals. Models of Milan's Duomo cathedral are reportedly 'flying off the shelves.' Lets just hope they don't start flying toward other people's heads again. As a sign that this is now a historic pop culture event, the replica throwing event made the Washington Post's annual 2010 "In and Out" list. "Hurling shoes at presidents" is OUT while "Heaving statuettes at prime ministers" is now, apparently, IN.

Italian Prime Minister Attacked with Souvenir

Its not often souvenir buildings are in the news and its shocking that one has been used as a weapon. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was hit in the face with a small souvenir replica of the Doumo di Milano, the city's central cathedral. The attacker, a graphic designer named MassimoTartaglia who has a history of mental problems, was quickly taken away by police after he threw the statuette at the Italian leader's face. Berlusconi was assaulted in Milan as he signed autographs on Sunday in front of Milan's Duomo. He was bleeding profusely from his left upper lip, cheek and may have a broken nose and two damaged teeth. The replica of the cathedral, famous for its Gothic spires, was initially said to be made of metal but later reports suggested it was plaster. UPDATE: News continues about the souvenir building attack on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Building Collector reader Carol D. sent me this link with a Reuters video update about the souvenir throwing event. In the video, people are reportedly stopping by souvenir stands in Milan to check the weight of the building replica to gage its potential damage. "Sales of this souvenir have never been better," said the reporter. The photos below are some of the souvenir building replicas of the Doumo di Milano Cathedral currently for sale in the Italian city.