Simon Willison reported visiting the Museum of the City of New York to view an exhibition titled He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model. The display features a large model measuring fifty by twenty-seven feet, constructed entirely from balsa wood and cardboard. According to the reporting, the physical model required twenty-one years to build.
Exhibition Timeline and Details
Physical architectural models of this scale require extensive planning and labor, spanning over two decades of construction in this specific instance. The exhibition is hosted at the Museum of the City of New York, a prominent institution dedicated to showcasing the history and built environment of the city. The display has a scheduled closing date of October twelfth, making it a time-sensitive attraction for visitors in the area.
Unknown Factors and Future Availability
The available reports did not specify whether the model will travel to other institutions after the exhibition closes, nor did they provide details on future conservation plans for the balsa wood and cardboard structure. Furthermore, the announcement did not specify whether additional documentation or digital scans of the model will be made publicly available for those unable to visit in person before October twelfth.
Interested visitors have until the October twelfth closing date to see the exhibition in person at the museum.
Lead image: Magda Ehlers / Pexels
