A virtual magazine for a true passion!

Editor: Jaap Horst


Volume 12, Issue 2

Bugatti history in miniature

a short exhibition overview - Click!

Mike Toomey, curator, and main show producer for the "Bugatti, History in Miniatures" is pictured in the first photo in the PDF-file, standing by Steve Hamlin's T.40 Bugatti.

The exhibition, Bugatti History in Miniatures opened September 9, 2007 and was well attended by members of the American Bugatti Club as well as 10 or more MBA members and other museum people. The US Bugatti Grand Prix took place at the same time and was followed by a Bugatti Rally for several days. Don & Jody Meade, Pico Elgin, Bill Michalak, Allan Price & his son Bradley, Steve Hamlin, Mikhail Bashmashnikov, my wife Wendy & I all participating for at least part of the events. The exhibition will be open through October 27, 2007.

It was a huge undertaking, two big rooms. Jody Meade counted 758 Bugatti models & artifacts when we finished. Plus paintings, photos and posters and an actual factory T52 as well as a Tula T52 replica. We had Barbara Hamlin’s T40 in front of the museum for a while and Art Collection Auto models inside. Frankly it was exhausting and it couldn't have been done with out the help of the MBAers that showed up on Friday. Mikhail was there all week with me. One of the parts I was proudest of was a Time Line Display in 1/43rd of as many different Bugatti design types as I could find including some that I didn't know existed or were modeled (T14, T28, T125, EB218). While we had many 1/43rd scale models in groups of Racing, Touring and T57s, other groups were organized by scales: 1/18th, 1/8th, 1/87th, 1/24th kit and scratch built.

Some were organized by materials made such as Wood, Ceramic & Glass, Paper/card, Tin plate, and Metal (pewter, brass, silver gold). Other groups were organized in categories: Models that Move: powered by gas, electric or wind ups, Planes, Trains & Boats, and Historic Stories. Comic characters in model form and print (TinTin, Babar, Snoopy, Smurf etc.) were displayed. The oldest miniatures shown were the factory T52, the Ingenia paper T35 and AutoRail from the 1930s & 40s (unbuilt, too rare to cut), the wood S.M.E.C. T59 kit & built (1948), the Graphic Designers white metal built kit in 1/24th from the 1950s and several early tin, celluloid and wood models. In terms of significant models we had 4 Antonietti Art Collection, 10 Bouissou, 12 Yurcenko and number 1 BDB Models in 1/87th scale among others.

The exhibition catalog, is 42 color pages plus covers. I has 140 photos of 305 items. Only a small quantity was produced and they may run out, although there is a posiblity it might be reprinted. You could order one directly from the museum by email or phone with a credit card. The price is $25 plus postage.

Make sure to view the short exhibition overview - Click!

Exhibition organised by:
Stephen Hamlin, Concept
Michael Toomey, Guest Curator
Michael Toomey, Stephen Hamlin, Producers
Catalog: Designed, written and photographed by Michael Toomey
Commemorative T32 Paper model by Herb Deeks
Museum Consultant: Mikhail Bashmashnikov
MBA Team of helpers: Don & Jody Meade, Mikhail Bashmashnikov, Pico Elgin, and Bill Michalak

Contact Info:
Bugatti History in Miniature
September 9- October 27, 2007
Ontario County Historical Society & Museum
55 North Main Street
Canandaigua, New York 14424
Tel: 585 394 4975
website: ochs.org


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