Torrazzo of Cremona Tower Souvenir Building

The Torrazzo is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Cremona in Lombardy, Italy. Towering 112.7 meters (343 ft 6 in), it is the third-tallest brickwork bell tower in the world (the first being the tower of St. Martin's Church in Landshut, Bavaria, and the second at the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium). Completed in 1309, Torrazzo is older than the Landshut tower (completed in 1500) and the Bruges tower (completed in 1465), and it is the oldest brick structure taller than 100 m that is still standing. Built in four phases: a first dating back to the 1230s, up to the third dripstone, a second, between 1250 and 1267, up to the dripstone under the quadriphore, a third around 1284, and the completion of the marble spire in 1309. Its height is announced by a plaque embedded in the wall at the base of the Torrazzo itself, stating 250 arms and 2 ounces, which in the ancient measuring system of the Lombard towns translates to approximately 111 meters.

Banthrico Coin Bank Towers

A few Banthrico coin bank souvenir building are replicas of towers. The Tower Federal Savings coin bank made by Banthrico is not a replica of the bank building, but a miniature of the stone water tower where the bank was located. The Western Springs Water Tower in Western Springs, Illinois is 112.5 feet (34.3 m) tall and 36.5 feet (11.1 m) in diameter. Construction on the tower began in 1892 and finished in 1893.is now a museum and stands 112.5 feet (34.3 m) tall and 36.5 feet (11.1 m) in diameter. Construction on the tower began in 1892 and finished in 1893. The Riverside National Bank is also a Water Tower in Riverside, Illinois. Designed in 1869 by William LeBaron Jenney, the water tower has become the symbol of Riverside that is used as a logo for the village government. A bank named San Joaquin Bank is actually a replica of The Beale Memorial Clock Tower, which was a gift to the City of Bakersfield, California. Dedicated on April 2, 1904, the clock tower originally stood in the center of the intersection at Chester Avenue and 17th Street in downtown Bakersfield. In the summer of 1952, a series of earthquakes shook Kern County causing extensive damage to the clock tower. The clock tower was demolished in the quake’s aftermath. Only the original clock works, bell, iron stairway, balcony railings and arch grillwork were saved.  In 1961, a group of local citizens formed the Beale Memorial Clock Tower Restoration Committee to build a replica of the clock tower. The original pieces of the clock tower were incorporated into the rising masonry. The reconstructed clock tower was dedicated at the Kern County Museum on December 13, 1964. A coin bank labeled UNI is a replica of The Campanile on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. This last one is actually made by the company, Toystalgia, which purchased Banthrico molds and is reproducing some of the coin banks. Do you know of other tower coin banks? Collector Steve V. added 3 other towers: Mt. Greylock, Eastern Trust & Banking Clock Tower, and Peoples Trust Bank Clock Tower. 

Sterling Silver Replica of Ben Clock Tower

This English cast sterling silver and silver gilt “Little Ben” is a miniature version of London's most famous clock tower 'Big Ben.' This model has been chased and embellished with panels of silver gilt to reproduce the fine architectural detail of this Gothic style clock tower. Mappin & Webb made this replica in 1983 at a height of 28.5cm or 11.2 inches. The cupola-style top may be removed, allowing access to the battery operated watch / clock face. The white enamel watch / clock dials display black Roman numeral hour markers encircled by a minute marked chapter ring. 

Mysterious Tower Replicas

Most collectors of souvenir buildings have similar stipulations for items they collect. While materials of choice can vary, we usually agree that replicas must be 3-dimensional and depict an actual building or monument. Neither fantasy nor generic structures need apply. However, most of us do own some unidentified building replicas. We buy these in the hopes that some day they will be discovered and identified. Recently, I purchased a tower replica the origin of which is unknown by me and some fellow collectors. Standing 10.5 inches tall, it has some age and is well made. Seems to be pot metal with heavy lead content. Notice the onion-shaped top has 8 Star of David's around it which could be a clue. In the doorway, a cherub figure seems to dance. I inquired about the tower with a few other collectors. Both agreed it looked similar to some other towers which are also unidentified. Collector Steve V. has one he purchased from someone who was Polish and was told it might have been a brewery turned into a synagogue someplace near the cities of krakow or Lutz perhaps. I also asked collector David W. thought of the production of Nicholas Muller & Sons, a New York maker of cast metal objects in the late 19th early 20th centuries. "Several, though by no means all objects, made by this company are architectural in form," David wrote. I've written about another unidentified tower in the past. It is still unknown and some collectors believe these two somewhat similar towers could be related. I removed the thermometer from my new tower and confirmed they are indeed both produced by "N. Muller N.Y." and this on has the number 594, while the other is marked 595. David thought the "octagonally-planned tower bears a resemblance to the Staten Island Lighthouse, and may be a replica. Apparently, the current structure has been much altered, I've no idea if the other two are miniatures of real buildings." I'm also beginning to wonder if one or both of these could be bell towers or early observation towers. What do you think? Have any ideas or clues to these mysteries? Give me your tips via the 'Comments' link below.

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.

Blackpool Tower Souvenirs

Modeled after the more famous Eiffel Tower, the Blackpool Tower is about half the height of its French counterpart. Standing over 518 feet high, the tower dominates to skyline of the seaside town in Lancashire, England. Naturally, as a tourist attraction, a few different versions of souvenir monuments of the tower have been made over the years. A small antique lead version of the Blackpool Tower stands 3.5 inches tall. A Larger antique cast iron still bank version is 7.5 inches tall and one sold recently for $227. The rarest replica is most likely a large Silver model of the Tower. Now on display inside the tower, the silver replica was presented to the Chairman of the Tower Company Sir John Bickerstaffe in 1898 by the Shareholders in appreciation of his role in ensuring the Tower was completed. According to The Blackpool Tower’s website, there are gift shops on site, but there does not seem to be an online version. Resin replicas of the tower are available at the gift shop, so pick one up next time you’re there. The real Blackpool Tower was design was by Charles Tuke and James Maxwell two Manchester architects who also supervised the construction of the building. In 1889, Blackpool Mayor John Bickerstaffe, often described as ‘the father of Blackpool tower,’ visited the Great Paris Exhibition and was captivated by the sight of the Eiffel Tower. It inspired him to create a similar landmark in his home town of Blackpool, so he organised a group of local businessmen to finance the project. Opened to the public on May 14th 1894, the tower is a multi-level entertainment complex, attracting around six hundred and fifty thousand visitors every year. Some fun facts about the tower: It takes seven years to paint the building and painting is a continual process…as soon as the decorators have worked their way to the top, they start at the bottom again and use six tons of paint each time. There are 563 steps from the roof of the Tower building to the flagpole at the Tower Top. These steps are for use by the maintenance teams for upkeep of the structure. More than five million bricks are in the Tower Building. Ten thousand light bulbs are used to illuminate the Tower. In 1949, a post box was placed at the top of the Tower allowing post marks from the Blackpool Tower.

 

Totem Pole Souvenir Replicas

Last year for Thanksgiving, Scott D. wrote a series of posts about related souvenir buildings. He included the Pilgrim monument in Provincetown; Plymouth Rock souvenirs and even the town of Plymouth. I also wrote about historic Jamestown Virginia and miniature replicas there. This year, however, I had difficulty finding additional Thanksgiving-related souvenirs to write about. So, in honor of our Native American friends who helped the Pilgrims on the first Thanksgiving, let’s explore something iconic in their culture – the totem pole. There is a mini replica of the Totem pole at Pioneer Square in Seattle. The souvenir stands 4 inches high and was made for the BPOE (The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks), a 141-year-old fraternal lodge. On the back of the pole are the words, “Complements of Seattle Lodge No. 92 BPOE. “ The base reads, “Totem Pole Pioneer Square Seattle. Seattle Wantsyouvin 1915. The real tribal history of the Indian.” The final base panel has an elk’s head with the words “Cervus Alces” which means elk. I’ve seen another version with the front base panel depicting the head of the Indian Chief Seattle. Most monument replicas seem to be made with a copper/bronze finish, but some have been repainted. The souvenir totem pole has 6 faces and animals on the front. The real Pioneer Square Totem Pole has a storied history and not a very respectful one. This Totem was stolen from Native Americans. During the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800’s, Seattle was a center for travel to Alaska. In 1899, a group of prominent businessmen stole a 60-foot totem pole from a Tlingit village in Alaska and placed it in Pioneer Place Park. The totem pole stood there until an arsonist destroyed the pole in 1938. The city then sent the pieces back to the Tlingit tribe who carved a new one and gave it to Seattle (after finally getting paid for the one that was originally stolen). In addition to the totem pole, a wrought-iron Victorian pergola and a bust of Chief Seattle were added to the park in 1909.Native Americans of the Northwest Coast carved totem poles to document important events, family history, and to identify a family or a clan. The Seattle totem belonged to the Raven Clan (English surname Kinninook) and had been carved in about the year 1790 to honor a woman named Chief-of-All-Women who drowned in the Nass River while on a journey to visit an ailing sister. The top carving was that of a raven, which in Tlingit mythology did everything, knew everything, and seemed to be everywhere at once. In Seattle, the raven faced north up 1st Avenue. I have also seen totem pole replicas from Alaska and Canada produced in metal, resin, wood and stone. Do you know of other totem pole replicas?

Knoxville Sunsphere: Site Report

This summer, I traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee and, naturally, could not miss the opportunity to visit the Sunsphere. Built for the 1984 World’s Fair, the tower was smaller than I expected, but it still stands 266-feet high. The park in which the tower sits was nice and is still used by the residents for events and concerts. An elevator delivers visitors to an observation deck with slanted windows within the sphere itself. This floor was unattended and almost empty. Signage allow visitors a self-guided history lesson about the views throught the windows and information about the World’s Fair. There is no gift shop at the Sunsphere, so hang onto your miniature versions as none are currently available nor being produced. The theme for the 1982 World's Fair was "Energy Turns the World." It opened on May 1, 1982 and closed on October 31, 1982 after hosting over 11 million visitors.The centerpiece of the fair was the Sunsphere, a steel tower topped with a five-story gold globe. Designed by the Knoxville architectural firm Community Tectonics, the Sunsphere is noted for its unique design in several engineering publicationsIn its original design. The sphere portion was to have had a diameter of 86.5 feet (26.4 m) to represent symbolically the 865,000-mile (1,392,000 km) diameter sun. The tower's window glass panels are layered in 24-karat gold dust and cut to seven different shapes. It weighs 600 tons and features six double steel truss columns in supporting the seven-story sphere. During the fair, admission price was $2 to take the elevator to its observation deck. The tower served as a restaurant and featured food items such as the Sunburger and a rum and fruit juice cocktail called the Sunburst." The Sunsphere has been used as a symbol for Knoxville, appearing in postcards and logos. Between 1993 and 1999, the Sunsphere was featured in part on the logo for the Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball club. The 2002 AAU Junior Olympics mascot Spherit took its inspiration from the landmark. It featured red hair and a body shaped like the Sunsphere.Today, most of the World's Fair site is now a public park and a convention center, but the Sunsphere remains.Other notable events at the Sunsphere include: October 1987 when the sphere was illuminated to represent a huge jack-o-lantern. On Sunday, May 15, 2000, nuclear weapons protesters scaled the tower and hung a large banner that said "Stop the Bombs." They remained on the tower for three days before surrendering to police. The Sunshere sat empty for years until renovations began in 2003. As a result of European starling birds depositing on the tower's frame too much of, ummm…what birds deposit, the Knoxville Public Buildings Authority purchased a device that emits various noises to scare the birds away from the tower. Currently, the sphere contains offices, a bar and the observation floor. While in the elevator, we chatted with someone who worked in an office on top and he said during high winds the tower sways - making computer-users nausous. A few different souvenir building versions of the Sunsphere were made. The most common is a copper-colored pot metal replica which was made in two sizes: 6 and 9 inches tall. A plastic version was also made with a garish blue and gold-painted surface. A smaller pot metal pencil sharpener was also produced. The last that I know of is a rare souvenir cast for the fair by the A.C. Rehberger. This one has a golden finish and great detailing of the ladder work and ball on top is etched, not just smooth. It stands 5.25" tall. There is also a small metal pencil sharpener verson of the sunsphere which I believe is a more recently-made replica. Do know of other miniature replica versions of this tower?
Site reports - Have you been to a location, building or monument which was memorialized in miniature? Write up your impressions of the place and send it to me along with any photos you may have taken while there. It would be great to hear from readers and where they've been.

Liberty Memorial Tower Souvenir

The National World War I Museum in Kansas City is offering a replica of the Liberty Memorial Tower on their online gift store. The resin tower measures 8 inches tall and costs $26. Fellow building collector Dick B. alerted me to this available souvenir. The Liberty Memorial, located in Kansas City, Missouri houses the The National World War I Museum, as designated by the United States Congress in 2004. The real World War I Memorial Tower stands 217ft tall. Architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle designed the Beaux Arts Classicism, Egyptian Revival style tower. It was dedicated on November 11, 1926, by U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. The Liberty Memorial houses the official World War I museum of the United States. Among other landscaping, its grounds include two large sphinx sculptures, the centerpiece 217-foot (66 meter) tower and the museums around and under the tower. Commensurate with the memorial's congressional designation as the "national" memorial and museum, a new, much larger museum opened in 2006 beneath the main memorial to form a huge museum complex. The Memorial and Monument are managed by a non-profit organization in cooperation with the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. On September 21, 2006, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne declared Liberty Memorial a National Historic Landmark. This would make a great compainion piece to the Astronomers Monument souvenir.

Gold Tokyo Tower

For the building collector who has everything, one can now buy a replica of the Tokyo Tower made of gold. The 24 karat gold detailed replica even includes a representation of the four story shopping and dining center called Foot Town located at the tower's base. The gold masterpiece stands about 26 inches high and weighs 11 pounds. The price is $510,000. Jeweler Ginza Tanaka Corp is selling (or hoping to sell) a miniature of Tokyo Tower made out of pure gold and was made to mark the 50th anniversary of Tokyo Tower. I wrote earlier about the Tokyo Tower and its sometimes confusion with the Eiffel Tower. Other replicas of the Tokyo Tower are a bit more modest pot metal versions. In the photos below, other Tokyo buildings it and one includes statue of the samurai warrior Kusunoki Masashige. Do you know of other gold or unique souvenir buildings?

WTC in Gold and Diamonds

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

Baku’s Maiden Tower

I found this resin souvenir building recently and wanted to know what was the inspiration and where it resides. The city of Baku is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The most majestic and mysterious monument of Baku is Gyz Galasy, or “The Maiden Tower,” which was once called Göz Qalası or "The Eye Tower." The Maiden Tower is one of Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, which is on Azeri currency notes. It houses a museum and a gift shop. The view from the roof takes in the alleys and minarets of the Old City, the Maritime National Park, the De Gaulle house and a wide vista of the Baku Bay. In recent years the brazier on the top has been lit during the nights of the Novrous festival. Constructed in the 12th century, or possibly earlier, the tower’s architectural style and construction sequence are obscure. Estimates for its age go back to an unlikely 2,500 years. It was built by the 12th century architect Masud ibn Davud, who was probably the father of the architect of Mardakan Round Tower. There are a number of competing explanations for the “Maden” name: One legend concerning a maiden who threw herself off its top, to her death in the waves below. Another idea stems from the fact that the tower has never been taken by force. Finally, some consider that it was once a watch tower. The old town area of Baku was originally on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Due to land reclamation in the early 20th century, the tower is now separated from the Caspian by a busy main road and public gardens.

Javier’s Collection & Display

Some souvenir building collectors focus on a specialty or niche of replicas. One such collector makes his home in San Antonio, Texas in the shadows of a famous tower: The Tower of The Americas. He contacted me and wanted to share photos of his collection with everyone. “I deal strictly with towers,” Javier D. said. “Very few buildings.” About 30 years ago, a friend visited the Tower of The Americas and bought him a book and a pencil sharpener replica of the tower. He didn't pay to much attention to this but and put them away. Then, about 5 years later, while in high school, he rediscovered the book and noticed that in it was a scale of our tower in comparison with a few other towers from around the world. “I did not even know other cities aside from us and Paris had a tower. But I was fascinated with the other towers and the different designs,” he said. At this point, he was not collecting, just reading about the towers. When EBay came on the scene around 1998, he began to search for other Tower of the America items and discovered that he could purchase replicas of other towers from around the world. “So I started collecting and collecting,” he said. He now has about 200 observation and TV towers which range from 3" to 14" tall. The collection materials include various metals, wood, plastic, glass, and even a few very old iron replicas. Also to add to his collection, he has personally visited towers in Toronto, Berlin, Stuttgart, Paris, Dallas and Seattle. Three personal favorites of his are a hand-made Tashkent, Uzbekistan TV tower, a Cairo tower made from cherry wood and a St. Petersburg TV tower. He sometimes finds towers on eBay which are mislabeled, “I have studied towers for so long that I can spot them and ID them a mile away." Labeled as ‘some kind of Eiffel tower,’ he found a Japanese Yokohama Marine tower for $10 this way while others have sold for $240. He also has ‘tons’ of tower-related items such as brochures, books, key chains, postcards, pins, un-used tickets, phone cards, and coins. Why does he collect towers? “I just love the futuristic unique designs that each city tower offers. Unlike buildings, towers never really get lost among the city skylines and in fact are the most prominent things in their skylines,” he said. He was glad to have discovered the Souvenir Building Collectors Society and he’s hoping to find others who collect towers. “There are still a few out there I don't have and would love to just see them!” Check out my other posts of souvenir displays. Do you have photos of your collection you’d like to share? Send me an email with photos and information and I’ll post it for fellow building collectors to see.

Scott’s Mystery Tower / Monument

Avid Building Collector reader, Scott D., sent me a photo of a souvenir replica in his collection which is unidentified. Made of pot metal, he estimates the date of the replica to be, “around the late 19th Century to early 20th.” He wrote. “It’s a little over 9" tall (including the base) and a little over 2.5" at the bottom.” He bought this piece at an outside antique show about 10 years ago. It has what appears to be an area where a thermometer would have been and the words, ”N. MULLER N.Y. No 595.” This could be a maker’s mark and number or some other identifier. If you have any information about this mystery replica let me know via the ‘comments’ link below or send me an email at: dave@buildingcollector.com

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.