Collector’s home is a tribute to small cars and war stars
Connie loved his models. He dedicated an entire room to his collection, with fabulous shelving to display the various models he’d acquired over his life. The former college professor was especially drawn to automobiles, but had a corner dedicated to military ships and aircrafts. His collection filled the room to capacity, and crept beyond into other areas of the house, tastefully adding his enthusiasm to these spaces. While model cars dominated, a discerning eye would discover that Connie had an interest in Hi-Fi equipment, mid-century modern furniture, wood working, music and cinema, and law enforcement among other pursuits. His bookshelves were replete with titles discussing cars, car design, car construction, car history – but he also had books on aircraft and boats, the future of flying, and space exploration. Connie was a kid of the space age, and it showed well. At 81 years young, Connie was more like a kid showing his toys than an adult sharing a collection – his enthusiasm was infectious and engaging.
Entering the model car room was a little like entering a jewelry store or other high-end retail establishment. A cacophony of little shiny things clashed for your attention, and one visit couldn’t reveal everything there was to see. From floor to ceiling Connie displayed cars – surface area was at a premium, and it’s easy to understand why many cars had been displaced into other areas of the house. In fact, entering the home, automotive elements greeted with subtle style – radiator mascots, bronze models, wire basket models, art on the wall – mostly, somehow related to the automobile.
Having served in the United States Air Force, Connie developed a keen interest in aircrafts and ships. He could speak at length about the various types of planes and seacraft the military used, especially during the 1950’s and ’60s. Among his collection were various scales and models of planes and ships, some of which he’d worked with in his day, others he’d just admired for their capabilities and uses. But truly, his heart was in the automotive transportation arena, specifically sports cars and cars of unique design; overall, his collection was truly eclectic – small, delicate, wooden cars were adjacent large scale metal models; a line of Corvettes offset a row of Ferraris; early pre-historic car models gathered upon shelves here and there; a massive V-Rod Harley-Davidson motorcycle model set the stage for the two-wheeled variety of transportation, and a Barbie Ferrari doll provides the idea that Connie just loved to collect – especially if it had anything to do with Ferrari.
Connie assembled a wonderful shelving system around the entire room to display his cars. Using intricate lighting elements and angles, he could illuminate certain areas of the collection like an art gallery, or the entire room could glow fiercely. In the center of the room a coffee table held a number of cars, next to which a single chair stood for Connie to relax, listen to music on his stereo, and enjoy the models and the room he’d built. Here and there would be remnants of Petroliana or Automobilia, a hubcap or an old oil can, a set of ancient fuses, promotional coffee mugs for car-related companies, a set of tire ashtrays. All told, what Connie created was a personal museum celebrating the automobile and its related accoutrement. What more could an 81-year young kid need?
