Alan Rose Estate Items on ebay

[Rubenandres77]

Originally Posted by Paper Kosmonaut

I think because Alan Rose was an american, his art should be shown in de US. I myself think it would not be misplaced in the MOMA or, as suggested by Madbrit, the Metropolitan. As Rose's collection is broader than just air and space related subjects, I don't see the NASM as the right place. But I really would love to see it exhibited in a big museum!

My thoughts exactly.

[Vermin_King]

I think this really comes down to the condition of what is in the collection. I would be a little afraid that like so much at the V&A museum, in a big museum it might end up 'in the collection'. Meaning 'in storage'. Finding a place that values his work as much as we do would probably be best.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Originally Posted by Vermin_King

I think this really comes down to the condition of what is in the collection. I would be a little afraid that like so much at the V&A museum, in a big museum it might end up 'in the collection'. Meaning 'in storage'. Finding a place that values his work as much as we do would probably be best.

I know, but one can of course dream. it would be great to see our hobby and its exponents appreciated at the highest level, like for example in the MOMA. In my opinion Alan Rose is on a same level of importance as Roy Liechtenstein or Norman Rockwell, to name just two. (-:

[Vermin_King]

I agree, but then again, we aren't the mainstream

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Originally Posted by Vermin_King

I agree, but then again, we aren't the mainstream

That's right, we're not. We're the people who are able to amaze plastic model makers.

[THE DC]

I just finished a project with some youth assessment centers and group homes to build paper models during Covid shut downs. Several houses participated but many struggled with the complexity of the project. Three that came through and did well included one that built his Saturn V, another completed the U.S. Capital Building, and the third the Sears Tower. They did great work.

Paper model building is a great way to train youth with limited self-discipline and less confidence to stay on task and to follow directions. The challenge is in finding those kits with adequate directions, as many youth today have little experience with physical hobbies, having been weened on digital activity.

Rose's books were very helpful, if not expensive these days. I had one house wanting to do the Hindenburg, but it was too pricy.

Even the settings who tried and failed to complete the Vatican, Titanic, Brooklyn Bridge, and Taj expressed benefit.

Some of the teachers have been continuing the effort, using cubes as starting points to train the youth, then using cube-level vehicles (first responder) for class projects.

I wish Rose was around to share with him the positivity that he developed.

[THE DC]

A couple of pics I could share (without violating HIPPA).

[Peter Ansoff]

Thanks, everyone, for all the great suggestions about future homes for Alan's archive. It will be a while before we can actively pursue this, but it's a good discussion to have. My initial thought is that an art museum like the MOMA might not be appropriate, for two reasons. First, it would make Alan's work a tiny fish in a big pond (as it were), which he probably would not have liked very much. Second, and more important, the essence of his work was not to produce art for people to admire, but to create an activity for them to engage in, enjoy, and learn from. I hear an echo of that idea in the tagline he put on some of his covers: "So easy even an adult can do it." I think The DC is right that Alan would have liked seeing youth groups using his models to learn about teamwork and perseverance (and having fun too!).

Following that train of thought, I'm intrigued by altomentis' suggestion of the Strong Museum, which I had not heard of before. Its full name is the "Strong National Museum of Play" in Rochester NY. They are both a museum and a library-and-archive, with collections of toys and games (both physical and electronic), as well as books, papers and documents. They publish an online journal with academic articles about play and recreation, and organize school programs and activities. Nosing around on their web site, I found at least one blog article about paper models. This sounds like it might be a good fit for us in a number of ways.

[THE DC]

It would be nice to publish the kits on the web to preserve and share his legacy, if his family was amicable.

A virtual museum.


I can think of many youth who might get started in this if they had easier access...

[Peter Ansoff]

It's been a while, but I'm glad to be able to provide an update on the Alan Rose collection. As you know, we had an exhibit of his prototypes and work papers at last year's IPMC. To make a long story short: The Strong Museum of Play has agreed to accept the materials as part of their research collection, and I have tentative date to take everything up to Rochester NY next month. At the same time, I'll be donating my compete (I think) set of Alan's books. When I let Alan's widow know about this, she said that she hoped to be able to be there in person, which would be truly excellent.

One other interesting tidbit (which you already know if you attended the IPMC): When I first picked up Alan's materials in Baltimore, I noticed that the layouts and prototypes were all related to his "transportation" series models (Titanic, Hindenburg, Cable Car, Saturn V, DC-3, Century Limited and Corvette). It turns out that he donated the corresponding materials for his architectural models to the National Building Museum here in DC before he died. The NBM has a web page about them here:

Collections Highlight: Alan Rose Collection | National Building Museum

I'll keep everyone posted, but it looks like we've found a good permanent home for Alan's legacy. The folks at the Strong have been pleasant to deal with so far, and I think it will be a good solution.