Getting your stuff in a good museum,How to..

Leave your model in a basket on the front steps after they close...

Manstein's revenge

Leave your model in a basket on the front steps after they close...

John, already a step ahead of you. I went to the local Legion and asked around to see what service the members were in. Then when I had something that fit the line of service, I offered it up to the Legion to put on display.

I may never have stood shoulder to shoulder with those folks, but they did like to tell me some old "war stories"  later.

Cheers

Cedric

VanceCrozier

Manstein's revenge:

Leave your model in a basket on the front steps after they close...

 

John I truly appreciate your words and work.  Your diorama and photography work is exquisite.  I recall that the first photo of yours that I saw, I mistook for an actual picture of a workshop.  Thank you for sharing your hard work and creative insight.  Rick. 

This whole thread seems to be more about donating finished models and collections to museums. But I am posting here to ask and wondering about, if it's possible to build something for a museum that they don't currently have on exhibit and donate. My idea is the following:

I recently had a really crazy idea, but I'm not sure if it'll ever come to fruition.
For the last 2 years, I have been so enraptured with the history, and the model building of, a HMS Habakkuk ice aircraft carrier. The 1/700 scale model is done and already in the MW gallery back in June earlier this year.
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/misc/whatif/habakkuk-700-em/index.html
But now, I seem to be turning my thoughts to a bigger and far crazier future "possible" project: A 1/350 (Almost 6 feet long!) scale Habakkuk carrier, but detail the hell out of it and show the FULL interior from bow to stern. It's an impossible project due to little or no blueprints and technical diagrams, etc. But I have already begun formulating notes, calculations, specifications, etc. just in case I actually do this project in the future.
But here's the thing: I don't want to do this for myself. I can't keep a 6 foot model in my small apartment as I don't have the room. I had the thought of what if I donated it to a museum? I was thinking of the following:
1. Jasper, Canada is where a small scale Habakkuk prototype was built and tested on a lake. There is a museum here: http://www.jaspermuseum.org/
2. Would the Royal Naval Museum be interested in such a display? After all, Project Habakkuk was originally a British idea/concept. They have a website here: http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/index.htm

How would I go about pitching such an idea/concept for a large model display to a museum? What questions should I be asking? And if the above museums wouldn't be interested in such a display, then who would?

I can tell ya from experience it's easier to get your "stuff" into lesser-known museums. When my grandfather passed away a few years back, he left me with a considerable collection of planes he built, dating back to 1939. There was no practical way for me to display or store the entire collection, so I kept the ones that meant the most to him and/or me, and then contacted several air museums in my state. The most prominent and well-known museums didn't want them, as they basically have a glut of this sort of stuff already. The ones that accepted the donations were smaller facilities, in need of display items. It was a win-win for everyone. Although I could not have brought myself to "dumpster" the surplus plane models, I would have had to store them, where no one would have enjoyed them.

Thanks guys for your kind words,I am glad that you like my stuff.Nice to know that you are following along on this thread. Cheers ! John. lots more to come!

ModelNerd

I can tell ya from experience it's easier to get your "stuff" into lesser-known museums. When my grandfather passed away a few years back, he left me with a considerable collection of planes he built, dating back to 1939. There was no practical way for me to display or store the entire collection, so I kept the ones that meant the most to him and/or me, and then contacted several air museums in my state. The most prominent and well-known museums didn't want them, as they basically have a glut of this sort of stuff already. The ones that accepted the donations were smaller facilities, in need of display items. It was a win-win for everyone. Although I could not have brought myself to "dumpster" the surplus plane models, I would have had to store them, where no one would have enjoyed them.

What a wonderful story ! I am sure that your dad would be proud.Single models are hard to get into the known museums no matter how well they are done.That is why I do dioramas with a story attached to it.People today want more than just  looking at old airplanes even 1:1 scale.(the real thing) have lost their popularity with the public as aviation itself has over time.Their will always be a certain group of what I like to call aviators and of course modelers that will never get over the thrill of flight but the general public wants more.Museums are finally realizing this and are now even doing full scale airplane dioramas with their collections.The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is helping to lead the way.I was lucky to be doing the right thing at the right time.Ten years earlier and they would have said "what the hell is a diorama."

Cheers ! John.

CBHusky

This whole thread seems to be more about donating finished models and collections to museums. But I am posting here to ask and wondering about, if it's possible to build something for a museum that they don't currently have on exhibit and donate. My idea is the following:

 

I recently had a really crazy idea, but I'm not sure if it'll ever come to fruition.
For the last 2 years, I have been so enraptured with the history, and the model building of, a HMS Habakkuk ice aircraft carrier. The 1/700 scale model is done and already in the MW gallery back in June earlier this year.
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/misc/whatif/habakkuk-700-em/index.html
But now, I seem to be turning my thoughts to a bigger and far crazier future "possible" project: A 1/350 (Almost 6 feet long!) scale Habakkuk carrier, but detail the hell out of it and show the FULL interior from bow to stern. It's an impossible project due to little or no blueprints and technical diagrams, etc. But I have already begun formulating notes, calculations, specifications, etc. just in case I actually do this project in the future.
But here's the thing: I don't want to do this for myself. I can't keep a 6 foot model in my small apartment as I don't have the room. I had the thought of what if I donated it to a museum? I was thinking of the following:
1. Jasper, Canada is where a small scale Habakkuk prototype was built and tested on a lake. There is a museum here: http://www.jaspermuseum.org/
2. Would the Royal Naval Museum be interested in such a display? After all, Project Habakkuk was originally a British idea/concept. They have a website here: http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/index.htm

How would I go about pitching such an idea/concept for a large model display to a museum? What questions should I be asking? And if the above museums wouldn't be interested in such a display, then who would?

I would say just build it if that is what your heart tells you to do.As you get more and more into it you will have something to show.I was lucky in the beginning to have a young lady that worked at the museum promote my work to her bosses and peers .She gave me my break but she had to have something to show. You have to believe that if your stuff is good someone, somewhere will see the value of your art. Just start it and see what happens.

Personally I am in the same position as you are right now .I am building a "Old West " diorama using railway stuff because it is something I always wanted to do.I have to have faith that someone will pick it up when its built as I am a complete unknown the railroad museum world.Good luck and please start it now.

Cheers! John.