The largest assembly of LEGO Display Models....

Istokg

For those of you who have my 2800 page Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide, and are anticipating the next (FREE) upgrade to 3700 pages... well it is now going to be a whole lot more....

Several LEGO collectors (Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, Canada and USA) have recently offered the use of the images of about 150 display models covering the last half century of LEGO retailer displays, for my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide next edition (free to current owners of my DVD or Desktop Reference Guide).

So now my chapter on Glued LEGO display models will likely be split into large chapters on models by decades!!  

Chapter 78 - 1955-70 Early Display Models.
Chapter 79 - 1970s Display Models.
Chapter 80 - 1980s Display Models.
Chapter 81 - 1990s Display Models.
Chapter 82 - 2000- Present Display Models.

This is in addition to a chapter on LEGO Retailer Stores & Displays, and a chapter on LEGO Retailer Catalogs, Binders and Brochures.

I'm very excited over this... some of these new LEGO guide chapters will be subdivided into sub-chapters on Town, Castle, Space, Homemaker, Large Figures, etc.

These chapters will show the evolution from the early years, when retailers were required to purchase Display Models from TLG in Billund Denmark, to starting in the 1970s when TLG made them available to retailers, but kept ownership of the models, expecting them to be returned to TLG.  From what I gathered TLG didn't want broken or dirty display models left in circulation, because they wanted to protect the image and reputation of the LEGO product.

Fortunately for us today... many of these LEGO display models didn't make it back to TLG, which once returned... they were destroyed.  So we are fortunate that there are survivors among this part of LEGO history.  This same destruction took place among weathered and replaced Miniland models from the LEGOLAND partks.  Somewhere I have a heartbreaking image of a huge mound of disposed LEGOLAND models that were on their way to being crushed and recycled.

Even in the early years, when retailers could own their own copies of models, TLG suggested that they dispose of them after they became outdated and no longer in good condition.  We are thankful that some retailers thought otherwise... just as we are thankful that some TLG owned items missed the trash compactors....  :o

The over 150 image assortment I now have to document is amazing... an entire book on just these alone could be put together.... 

Some teasers from my LEGO display model chapters....

A late 1950s LEGO house model....



An English Tudor home from the 1960s....



The old lady who lived in a shoe model from 1976... from the Homemaker era with big people....




A 1970s LEGO Mississippi Paddlewheel Ship showing the old Minifig "stiffs" of 1975-78.....



1001 Arabian Nights....




LEGO Airport model.....




And a bazillion more.....

Istokg

Also included in the several chapters of my LEGO Collectors Guide are going to be several videos (total about 45 minutes viewing off over 100 modern display models!).

The nice thing about having a Computer Desktop collectors guide is that you can click on sites on the internet (videos and reference sites), and then go back to the desktop document where you left off.  This will be true for several videos of some of the largest collections of LEGO display sculptures on the planet.... including museums (Dan Brown's in Ohio), as well as online links to the works of famous LEGO sculptors (and LEGO friends) such as Eric Harshbarger, Nathan Sawaya and Adam Reed Tucker.

The 5 chapters on display models will make this the ultimate guide for official (and non-official) LEGO sculptures and displays!  ;-)

(P.S. If you currently own my collectors guide.. this expansion of the guide from 2800 to 3700 pages will be free  )

(One of 30 image from the 1985 LEGO Exhibition in Paris included)....




For people mildy interested... see "special" post #21... 
http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=73780
 :) 

mrbradford

Thanks Gary! How much longer do we have to wait for this update? :)

Istokg

Sorry Mrbradford.... I'm in the middle of Canada-Iceland-Denmark-Norway updates... + blue and gray track Train System box variations.... check out my Eurobricks request for box images... (not too much luck so far)....

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=108675

And with the addition of several store display models, I'm still working on finishing a chapter related to that... LEGO Retailer Store Displays and Display Windows....
http://www.youblisher.com/p/789575-LEGO-Retailer-Store-Chapter/

And then there's the new chapter on LEGO Ads and Boxes with Adults and Children....
http://www.youblisher.com/p/781819-Chapter-74-Adult-Children-LEGO-Displays/

A chapter for LEGO sets sold to non-institutional businesses.... 
http://www.youblisher.com/p/690501-Wooden-Box-Sets-for-Beauty-Parlors-Barber-Shops/

And specific company promotional LEGO Sets....
http://www.youblisher.com/p/665550-MAERSK-EARLY-LEGO-MODELS/

http://www.youblisher.com/p/664745-PHILIPS-Corporation-Promotional-LEGO-Items/

Then there's the specific country LEGO sets... and this example is just 1 set (700/3A)...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/sets/72157645472562780/

LEGO from Iceland....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/sets/72157649071314832/

My chapter on the LEGO Christiansen/Kristiansen family....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/sets/72157639131401366/

Additional wooden box sets for specific countries.... for my wooden box chapter...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/sets/72157640521660743/

New ways to look at old boxes...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157641204180773/

Adding historic catalogs...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157645298732460/

Known sets found in new variations....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157646946623144/

Unknown sets discovered.....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157643776170075/

Box... after box after box... in different languages....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157640836752783/

Connecting the dots between Comic Book (Super Hero) Illustrators and LEGO....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157642210666803/

And all the "new old" bricks that are being discovered....





And LEGO items I've not even gotten to talking abou yet.... 




 :p 

Istokg

My favorite glued display model yet is this half timbered German house model of a medieval house in Hildesheim Germany....



Which was also displayed in the 1960-65 #238 Building Idea Book....




But what I found out was most interesting about this building... is that the original was destroyed in Feb. 1945 WWII bombing of Hildesheim... not from the bombs... but from the fires that started afterwards in the old town, and engulfed and destroyed this wooden original.   The Germans built some modern hotel on the site... but the people of Hildesheim were always angry that their favorite old medieval house in town was never rebuilt.  So in the early 1980s the new hotel was demolished and the KNOCHENHAUER AMTSHAUS was rebuilt by 1986.

So the irony here was that a LEGO model of it was built for sale to continental European retailers... when the house did not exist again for another 1/4 century!!   :o

Istokg

Besides showing a vast quantity of LEGO display models, I'll also be showing the retailer catalogs that showed the models that were available for purchase in the early days (later TLG just supplied them to retailers, but retained ownership and expected them back (for later destruction).   Luckily, the retailers weren't so quick to give them back!!  :)

Also I'm including some stories about the builders of these models... such as German model builder (in Germany) Christian Lasgaard... as shown here in his workshop....




Or the ladies working for Samsonite who were building the glued models for both USA and Canada at a Detroit Samsonite plant....







And that medieval house from Hildesheim Germany, as well as the model of the Empire State Building... certainly made it to window and other diplays around the world.... such as this Detroit Department Store window....

Reliant

Amazing!!!!!!

Istokg

@Reliant  Thanks!!

I'm hoping that one of the Empire State Building models shows up somewhere at sometime.  I probably should put an ad into our local CRAIGSLIST advertising asking around if anyone has one of these, but the sheer size of such a model would cast doubt that any have survived.  But I guess it wouldn't hurt to try!

I personally don't have the means or resources to undertake such a quest... but there are now several collectors worldwide that are specializing in not only buying, but also restoring old glued display models.

Here's the Empire State Building model as seen in the #238 Building Idea Book, a booklet that was sold separately in Europe, and came as part of the largest LEGO sets on both sides of the Atlantic...




But the real prize would likely be a copy of the Palace of Westminster, today known as the Houses of Parliament in London....



This model has a mind boggling number of 1x1x2 white windows ($$$) throughout the model, which was probably an assembly of separate modules.  But the sheer volume and storage requirements of such a huge model would likely mean that none have survived.

In my collectors guide display model chapters there are also images of such famous buildings as Cologne Cathedral, and Ulm Cathedral (southern Germany, has the worlds tallest church tower).

And actually the chapters with the older models are more satisifying because an image of a historical building just looks nicer than that of a Darth Vader or a giraffe!  :)

Istokg

Here is an image from 1959.   It shows a mass produced group of "LEGO Gnome" mascots (in red overalls and hat) "marching" out of the factory in marching fashion.  These were model #0757, and were found in the 1959-60 Blue Glued Display Retailer Catalog....



And here's the models from the last page of the Blue Catalog (along with a few others)...

legomason

I read that as Darth Vader ON a giraffe. It made me chuckle.

Istokg

One of the coolest LEGO models was the 0751 REGINA MAERSK ship... modeled after the very first Maersk blue hulled ship that the Møller-Maersk Corp. ever built in 1954-55.  

In 1959 TLG made a glued display model of this ship using just regular blue parts, and sold it to LEGO retailers in 1959-60.  The image of the ship in the same blue catalog (as seen 2 posts pack)... doesn't do it justice...



No original examples of the 0751 REGINA MAERSK glued display models have yet been found.

This model is much more beautiful in color, with a few updated parts, and by using Maersk blue bricks (while the remaining Bricklink inventory of this discontinued color still exists)....  I made a model of this beauty....




So the REGINA MAERSK was actually the first Maersk LEGO Ship, although it was only available to retailers.

Here it is shown next to the first actually sold Maersk Ship... the 1974 promotional 1650 Maersk Line Container Set....




I have free copies of the instructions and contents list for my collector guide buyers.

Galactus

^ I noticed your build is a little different from the catalog version regarding the white mast(s). I was wondering why you chose to do this.

Istokg

@Galactus   Very good question!

There are several versions to be found in different LEGO catalogs and idea booklets.  I used the style as found in the #238 Building Idea Book, which looked more "photogenic".   I also replaced 3 bricks on the front of the models with 2x2 inverse slopes to give it a less jagged look.   And because those very old 1x1 round bricks without the tapered base have virtually zero clutch power, I used the round bricks with the tapered base, and used solid stud ones on top of each stack.  I also used 4 "MAERSK" stickers from the 10152 ships, and had Tommy Armstrong engrave a pair of "REGINA MAERSK 1x10 white bricks, rather than find individual 1x1 bricks as more easily seen in this #238 Idea Book model.   :)



The most interesting part of rebuilding this? ... that was getting the macaroni bricks to line up in the unique fashion at the front of the ship.  You have to manually hold the macaroni bricks in place until you did the next level above them to prevent them from falling off.  I'm not sure if this type of build with macaroni bricks is possible with the new type of macaroni bricks (with underside cross-supports) introduced just a few years ago.

This build, as a completed model, looks quite stunning.  :)

Istokg

One of the new chapters of my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide has multipage anecdotes and histories about LEGOs relationship with other companies (such as Philips and Maersk) and other very interesting stories that are slowly being forgotten as old time LEGO employees are retiring and dying off.

One of these is the early days of LEGO and Maersk.... that covers the REGINA MAERSK Ship, which was actually one of 3 ships by that name.  This earliest ship was launched in 1955, and scrapped in 1972.  Currently the Maersk company is on the 3rd REGINA MAERSK ship.. a Triple E Class ship.

http://www.youblisher.com/p/665550-MAERSK-EARLY-LEGO-MODELS/

Galactus

^^ Very interesting, thanks for clarifying!

Istokg

Back in 1960 TLG had 11,000 independent toy retailers in continental Europe, just as Britain and Ireland were coming online to LEGO sales....

In 1958 LEGO retailers could buy Glued display models from a yellow retailer catalog....


In 1959 LEGO retailers could buy Glued display models from a blue retailer catalog....




In 1960 LEGO retailers could buy Glued display models from a green retailer catalog....



During this era, there was also a Red Retailer Catalog for miscellaneous retailer items....



All 4 catalogs are completely pictured in my collectors guide.....