Big Ben’s 150th anniversary

Did you know this year marks the 150th anniversary of Big Ben? Construction of the Clock Tower began in September 1843 and was completed in 1859. Throughout 2009, England’s Parliament celebrates the 150th anniversary of its world-famous Clock Tower, Great Clock and Great Bell with celebrations and events. Most people call the tower Big Ben; however, this name actually refers to the large bell inside. Officially, the Clock Tower's bell is called the Great Bell though it is better known by the name 'Big Ben.’ There are two theories for this name's origin. Mostl likely, it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner for Works 1855-1858, whose name is inscribed on the bell. In another theory, its named after Ben Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer of the 1850s. 1859 was the beginning for all three elements when the Clock Tower was completed. The Great Clock began to run on 31 May, the Great Bell’s strikes were heard for the first time on 11 July and the quarter bells first chimed on 7 September. You can hear the chimes here. Construction of the Clock Tower began in September 1843 and was completed in 1859. It stands over 96 metres and 12 metres square. There are 11 floors with 334 steps to belfry and 393 steps to lantern (the Ayrton Light). Check out a virtual tour of the clock tower. To celebrate the anniversary in their own way, two businessmen in Cheshire, England created a 72-foot sculpture to mark 150 years of the London landmark. They built a straw replica of London's 'Big Ben.’ It’s made with 450 bales of straw and features a working clock with two faces that are illuminated at night. Other replicas of the clock tower which houses Big Ben and Houses of Parliament are souvenir buildings. An antique Parliament building is made of cast iron and stands 9 inch tall. A modern replica is an 8.5-inch metal replica of the clock tower with working miniature clock. Most collectors know about the small, copper-colored metal pencil sharpener of Big Ben’s Clock Tower which stands 4 inches tall. Do you know of other miniature replicas of the 150-year-old London landmark?

Behind-The-Scenes Tour of Big Ben

The History Channel produced a video, below, explaining everything you’d like to know about the details, specs and history of British Parliament clock tower commonly known as Big Ben:

Most people call the tower Big Ben; however, this name actually refers to the large bell inside. Officially, the Clock Tower's bell is called the Great Bell though it is better known by the name 'Big Ben.’ The Clock Tower has now been renamed the Elizabeth Tower in a tribute to Queen Elizabeth in her Diamond Jubilee year. Behind-The-Scenes tours of Big Ben are available and free, but, they are Open to UK permanent residents only. However,You can see some of the inside tour photos here. I’ve written before about souvenir replicas of Big Ben.

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. 

Restoration Hardware Post-Holiday Sale

During some after-Christmas shopping today, I noticed some cast brass building replicas on sale at Restoration Hardware. The sale - some are 50% off - seems to be both at stores and online. They offer a 17-inch-tall Empire State Building and two different sizes of Eiffel Tower models. Bookends including Big Ben, Empire State Building, Golden Gate bridge, Eiffel Tower and Roman Coliseum. They also had metal tree ornaments including the Empire State building, Eiffel Tower, a bridge, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Big Ben and others. All of the metal replicas have an antique bronze finish. The casting quality was not perfect, but at least they are not produced in resin – which is becoming far too prevalent these days. Do you know of other sales or other metal souvenir buildings available in stores now?

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. 

Designer Souvenir Buildings by Merci Gustave

A French company, aptly named Merci Gustave as a tribute to Alexandre Gustave Eiffel the French civil engineer and architect of the Eiffel Tower, is producing a series of metal building replicas. These are not ordinary souvenirs, but more like works of art. Painted with bright colors and adorned with hearts, stripes, flags or a happy face, the monuments beam with excitement. They also created a set of 3 metal replicas depicting the construction stages during the building of Gustav’s name-sake Tower. Need a VERY large Eiffel tower in your collection:  ZE BIG Stunning Merci Gustave Limited Edition Paris Tower (H 43.25ins/1.10m; Zinc Alloy: Toro Red) They also make a series of unusual Statue of Liberty models Stunning Merci Gustave Limited Edition Mini Statue of Liberty Stars & Stripes (H 8ins/20cm; Color: Mini Miss Sam-Red/White/Blue) Looks like they also have plans to produce Burj Al Arab, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, and the tower of Big Ben

Souvenirs and Real Landmarks

Most people who collect souvenirs have either visited the real landmark or hope to one day. When you do, its fun to photograph the souvenir building at the real site as I’ve done in the past with Monticello and the Betsy Ross House for example. Tourist Michael Hughes has taken this idea world wide as he photographs souvenirs juxtaposed with real tourist sites. He uses miniature buildings, post cards, magnets, snow globes, mugs and other souvenirs to create his visual illusion. Hughes began his technique in 1998 and has perfected it after travelling to hundreds of famous sights. His series of stunning photos include a Golden Gate fridge magnet slotted ideally into the San Francisco landscape. He arrives at a destination, visits the nearest souvenir shop and buys the cheapest souvenir. He then takes up to 50 photographs with a wide angle lens on a digital camera until he has the ornament positioned in exact proportion to the landmark. He has photographed the Egyptian pyramids and Sphinx, London's red buses and the Berlin's Brandenburg Gate - all combined with their souvenirs. The pictures have earned Michael more than 5 million hits on file-sharing website Flickr and an invite to appear on America's prime-time The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.Michael, who works as a freelance photographer in Germany, added: 'I used to be a souvenir snob and I'd only buy the most expensive ornaments. Now I've turned that on its head by using cheap ones and doing this childish idea of putting them in the picture.” Born in Britain and now living in Germany, Michael Hughes is a freelance photographer who has gained international attention lately with his quirky photographs of souvenirs perfectly lined up with monuments and landmarks. The attention has been so great, in fact, that the photographer was offered a book deal. Of interest to building collectors are photos of Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, the Tower Bridge in London, Egyptian pyramids and others. Check out even more of Hughes’ photos on his Flickr page. Have you photographed your souvenir buildings at their real locations? If so, send me your photos and I'll s publish them on Building Collector.

Darron's Souvenir Building Collection

Souvenir Building Collector Society members got the opportunity to visit the collection of current SBCS President Darron C. this past June in Connecticut. Over the last 16 years, he has accumulated over 1,000 building but only displays 800 which are on view in his dining room, living room and a small room dedicated to just replica buildings. His collection received some media attention recently with an article in the Stamford Advocate. I also interviewed Daron to delve deeper into this dedicated displayer of destinations. He got started collecting souvenir buildings when, “I was inspired by an advertisement in an Architectural Digest issue which showed a coffee table showcasing miniatures of famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and Statue of Liberty. I thought that this would be something cool to display in my home to reference some of my vacation destinations by picking up a miniature at one of the gift shops. At the time I thought I was just going to purchase 5 or 6 for my coffee table. Why do you collect souvenir buildings? “I think I enjoy the hunt more than the actual building. As a child my favorite holiday was Easter because there was always the annual Easter Egg hunt. Even then, it was such a rush to find an egg hidden in a tree or in the high grass. In many ways hunting for souvenir buildings in flea markets and collectible stores brings back that thrill. Now the rush comes from finding a building in a box of grandmom's china marked "Everything in this box is $2" at a flea market,” Darron said. “The first replica I purchased was a replica of the Sydney Opera House. I was on vacation in Australia in 1995. As one can imagine, there were so many versions available to purchase. At the time I was looking for replicas that looked as close to the real structure as possible. I remember that it took me almost two days to decide on a replica that I felt closely resembled the Opera House. I finally decided to purchase my replica from an artist that made ceramic versions and hand painted each one. I shunned the mass produced souvenir versions and deemed them "tacky tourist" trash. I guess my concept of tacky tourist trash must have changed.” Darron’s favorite building in his collection is an Ironbound Trust Building from Newark, NJ. “I found this rare building inkwell on my first visit to Brimfield Antique Show. It has great significance to me because my father commuted to Newark, NJ from Trenton, NJ on the train for over 25 years and walked past this building everyday. On family outings to various Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in Newark, he always took the time to point out historic landmarks and buildings in and always liked to point out the Ironbound Trust as one of his favorite buildings. The miniature is not in perfect condition but brings back a flood of family memories that makes it quite special to me,” he remembered. Collectors always have various methods for growing their displays. “Most of my souvenir buildings come from flea markets and collectible shops. Early in my collecting adventures, I had purchased a lot of buildings on eBay. Over the years, I have refrained from buying on eBay because I prefer the hunt and ability to examine my find in person. Many of my purchases have come from visiting flea markets and collectible shops in other parts of the US and around the world. I find it more satisfying to know that when I pick up a building I found at a Estonian flea market, I can associate it quickly with Tallinn and my holiday in 2007. You cannot experience that same feeling buying on EBay,” he said. Most often, a visitor to a building collector’s home knows almost immediately about the home-owner’s hobby. The collection is display proudly and prominently. This is of course true for Darron and Martin’s home. “After many years of displaying my collection all over the house (in my office, family room, dining room, etc.), I decided to higher a carpenter in 2010 to design some wooden built-in display shelves/storage to go in an unused area of my house. Now I have confined the collection to my family room and dining room. In my dining room I used a china display cabinet to house my collection of foreign souvenir buildings. I also have a separate trophy case to highlight what I call my sub-collections: building salt & peppers, building pencil sharpeners and sports arenas. But I find that how I display evolves and next year, I may group my buildings by color or material,” Darron said. Collectors are always ready with interesting stories about their collecting experience. “Last year (2009), on my trip to Moscow, I had an opportunity to take an elevator ride to the top of the Ostankino Tower. The tower had been closed for many years in order to repair the elevator that had caught fire. So the visitor’s center had only been open a few weeks. While I was there I asked the tour director if they sold any replicas of the tower but found out they did not. In fact there had not been replicas of Ostankino made for at least 10 years. I showed her a picture of my TV Tower collection. She was so intrigued and amazed at the miniatures, that she gave me a delft Ostankino ceramic replica that was on her desk. The replica had been given to her many years ago as a gift to employees. When I told her I couldn't possibly accept it (there were no extras laying around), she told me that I must take it because it belonged with the others!”

Architectural & Building Ornaments

Christmas season is upon us and some are busy decorating our trees. We have a few building and architectural ornaments, but I wondered what else might be available to adorn the souvenir building collector’s tree. Ornaments range from hand-blown glass to metal, wooden and resin. Here are a few I found:

Christopher Radko I'll Take Manhattan Ornament

Paris EIFFEL TOWER France Glass CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

BIG BEN London England Glass CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT New

Noble Gems Glass Leaning Tower Of Pisa Christmas Ornament #C4532

Empire State Building Glass Ornament

Do you know of other architectural ornaments sources?

George Carlin: Building Collector?

If you’re familiar with the comedy of the late George Carlin, you might know his bit about “stuff.” He joked about having stuff here, there and EVERYWHERE. Harry M. sent me this tip about a recent TV show he watched. Harry wrote, “Did George Carlin have a few souvenir buildings in his collection of “stuff?” Carlin was recently posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and there was an elaborate TV special this past week. Towards the end of the show, comedian Margaret Cho showed off a couple of shelves from Carlin’s storage locker. Right on the shelf were: an Eiffel Tower, a Big Ben clock tower and a Leaning Tower of Pisa. Cho pointed out some of the weird stuff on the shelves, but not the souvenir building’s. Good to know that George Carlin was obviously a man of tremendous taste as evidenced by the souvenir buildings. Ooops, maybe he had them because they were funny. If we see him in the afterlife we can ask.” I contacted Carlin’s publicist and inquired about the souvenirs. Unfortunately, he informed me that the comic was not a building collector. The buildings were just props for the award show. Perhaps the set designer is a collector or someone thought souvenir buildings add comic relief. Below, check out his 'stuff' routine.

Life After People

What would happen to our planet if the human race were to suddenly disappear forever? This is the post-human premise The History Channel explores during their series Life After People which premieres Tuesday, April 21 at 10pm ET. Architectural fans will be interested in the possible effects to man-made buildings and structures. Abandoned skyscrapers would, after hundreds of years, become "vertical ecosystems" complete with birds, rodents and even plant life. One small animal might be responsible for bringing down the Hoover Dam hydroelectric plant. Swelled rivers, crumbling bridges and buildings, grizzly bears in California and herds of buffalo returning to the Great Western Plains: In a world without humans, these would be the visual hallmarks. Our cars would shrivel to piles of dust, our house pets would be overtaken by flourishing wildlife and most of the records of our human story-books, photos, records-would fade quickly, leaving little evidence that we ever existed. Using visual effects and top experts in the fields of engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology and archeology, Life After People provides an amazing visual journey through the ultimately hypothetical.As modern metropolises like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington DC are ravaged by nature; the series exposes the surprising insights about how they function today. Basing this futuristic world on the surprising history of real locations, already abandoned by man, like a century-old shack in the arctic and an abandoned island that was once the most densely populated place on earth are featured in the series. In every episode, viewers will witness the epic destruction of iconic structures and buildings, from the Sears Tower, Astrodome, and Chrysler Building to the Sistine Chapel – allowing viewers to learn how they were built and why they were so significant. Big Ben will stop ticking within days; the International Space Station will plummet to earth within a few short years, while historic objects, like the Declaration of Independence and the mummified remains of King Tutankhamen will remain for decades. Upcoming episodes include: The Bodies Left Behind, Outbreak and The Capital Threat.

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.

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.

International Buildings Make You See Double

The Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca (or Makkah) Royal Hotel Clock Tower, is a building complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The complex holds several world records, the tallest clock tower in the world and the world's largest clock face. It also looks strikingly similar to England’s Parliament clock tower in London (sometimes called Big Ben). Replicas and photos of Japan's Tokyo Tower are also commonly confused with the France's Eiffel tower. The same could be said of the Blackpool Tower in England and the King’s Dominion Tower in Virginia. The Al Kazim Towers in Dubai look like a double set of Chrysler buildings. The complex has two 53-floor towers in Dubai Media City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Both towers, completed in early 2008, have an equal total structural height of 265 meters (869 ft) and resemble New York City's Chrysler Building. In South Korea, a building's design became controversial because its resembled exploding Twin Towers. The duel towers are connected in the middle by what they call “a pixelated cloud” that many believe look like the World Trade Center exploding when the two planes hit on 9/11. Al Kazim Towers.Can you think of other buildings that look similar to each other? 

A Small World After All

On a scale somewhere between souvenir buildings and the real deal, “miniature parks” are tourist attractions affording visitors to see famous landmarks in a relatively small space. The parks’ history may have roots in Japanese miniature gardens and grew from there. One such park , Mini-Europe, allows visitors to stroll all over Europe and view scaled-down versions of famous buildings and monuments. From London’s Big Ben to Venice’s canals and Berlin’s wall, “In total 300 models and sites in a quite unequalled craftsmanship.” Located in Bruparck at the foot of the Atomium in Brussels, Belgium, Mini-Europe displays architectural reproductions in a scale of 1:25. About 80 cities and 350 buildings are represented. Tobu World Square, which opened in 1993, is another example with 102 architectural reproductions exhibited in the Park. Its really can be a “small world after all.” Do you know of other miniature parks? Are they worth visiting?

Cast Iron Mechanical Banks

Friends of mine, who know of my souvenir building collection, showed me two London-themed mechanical banks they received as gifts a few years ago. Made of cast iron, the Tower Bridge and Palace of Westminster coin banks shoot a coin into a slot ostensibly to make saving money fun. I searched for the source to buy these miniature metal replicas made by a company called Bits and Pieces, but they don't seem to offer these any longer. Bits & Pieces still produce other coin banks. The nickname 'Big Ben,' really refers to the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, but is name is often extended to the clock or the clock tower as well.

Figural Building Teapots

On a cold winter day, what’s better than staying indoors and enjoying a hot cup of tea? I noticed some teapots with building designs at a store called World Market. Big Ben, Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal are all represented. I found other teapots with architectural themes as well including a finely made Tower of London teapot and porcelain Guggenheim Museum teapot. I've written before about architecture in the kitchen. 

Equestrian Course at London 2012 Olympics

Horses and riders leap over Big Ben, the Towers of London and Stonehenge. The London 2012 Olympics showjumping course was designed by Bob Ellis. He chose a theme of the city’s landmarks as the posts that support the obstacle course jumping poles. 

Clocks Forced onto Souvenir Buildings

There are tasteful souvenirs and then there are those that are not.  Souvenir makers have longed attempted to make ‘two-fers.’ Its not just a souvenir of the monument, but it’s also a thermometer or inkwell or Bank or …you get the idea. Many times, the second use can be integrated into the souvenir buildings fairly well. A tall, thin tower like the Washington Monument can sport a thermometer stuck to its side. However, one addition that defies reason for me is the clock. Sure, a working clock can fit well into Big Ben’s clock tower. But too often clocks are forced into a souvenir building and are wildly incongruous. “We interrupt this architecture with a large, out-of-place clock face which has nothing to do with the building itself.“ From the U.S. Capital, to Castles, to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, below are some photo examples of buildings defaced with a clock face. Despite my misgivings about these clocks, I still own a few of these in my collection. 

Skyline Chess Set of London

London’s Canary Wharf building is under attack. Checkmate. Game over. But, what a game it would be if a chessboard was set up with architecture. Buildings rather than bishops and pediments rather than pawns. Via a Kickstarter campaign, a group of designers in London hopes to bring their chess dream come true and replace traditional chess pieces with the Gherkin, London Eye, Big Ben, Shard of Glass and Canary Wharf buildings.