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| Now: From Google Streetviews (Google notes the image is from Oct 2021) |
Paul contacted me a few days ago to tell me that Malcolm Furlow had died and suggested I might write a post about him. I've always admired Furlow's work, although I haven't built any of his projects as he seemed to focus on the American west and southwest, which isn't my area.
But, I have tried to study his photograph composition techniques as they're excellent. To learn more about them I highly recommend Kalmbach's 1991 book, A Treasury of Model Railroad Photos, that is co-authored by Dave Frary, Malcolm Furlow, John Olsen, and Paul Scoles - an all-star lineup of model railroad photographers if there ever was one. Vince gave me a copy of this book a few years ago, and I'm glad he did as it's a constant source of inspiration.
The RMC 50th doesn't dwell much on being 50 other than a long editorial on RMC's history by Harold Carstens. Since in my mind all roads lead to E. L. Moore I took special note of Carsten's reminisces of their business locations over the years. He mentioned that E. L. Moore did a modelling project about one of their locations, the Ramsey Journal Building in Ramsey, New Jersey, and how the model was eventually made into a plastic kit sold by AHM.
No, I haven't forgotten about Malcolm Furlow. I just need to put my E. L. Moore blinders on before I investigate further :-)
I think we've all been impressed with Malcolm Furlow's modeling and in the 80s, it was hard not to see a lot of it. He's quoted as saying John Olsen's work was got him into modeling. I'm sure he also enjoyed John Allen's mountainous scenery, but I was also very taken with Olsen's Stop Gap Falls in a 70s RMC. Funny thing is, back in the day, Malcolm and John resembled each other; it's actually easy to get them and their work confused with each other's. In any case, Malcolm rightly deserves his place in model RR history.
ReplyDeleteVery much agree. I used to get Olsen and Furlow confused at times too :-) And sometimes still do :-( For me, the classic Olsen project was his Cielo Lumber Co. that appeared in the Jan '74 issue of Railroad Modeler.
DeleteOn a side note concerning ELM, although the new tattoo shop (occupying the former Ramsey Journal) is quite different looking than its predecessor, one can still see the large picture window, old fashioned door and that unique brick trim. At least on the first floor, that is.
ReplyDeleteYes. Those were the features that lead me to believe this is the place. Maybe that siding on the second floor is just some vinyl stuff nailed onto strapping that's been nailed into the original brick so that maybe in years to come the original could be restored. Yes, wishful thinking in my part.
DeleteThe four windows on the track facing wall are there, but the building is much longer/deeper.
ReplyDeleteIt does appear that everything above the ground floor has been ripped away and completely replaced as the windows up there do not match at all.
Are there any photographs from/before the period of the painting, the main station building is a close match so is it likely that the Journal building is as it was. My first impression was that the painting was of the model??
The ELM article about the Ramsey Journal Building was published in RMC in Dec '67 and the model itself was built in 1967. The painting appeared in the Dec '64 issue. The 50th anniversary issue, published in Mar '83, has a photo of the building and implies that is what it looked like when RMC was there - I should scan and post it, however it looks like the version in the painting, but the clock tower appears to be missing.
DeleteA search for the Dater-Journal Building - noted as built 1896, rebuilt in 1980 (seen above door of no.6 on streetview) after a fire in 1979 - explains the complete loss of the top floor and clock tower.
ReplyDeleteHere is a web-page with a 1908 postcard: https://ramseyhistory.org/2010/05/main-street-ramsey-nj/
Thanks! I'll have a look at a more sane hour when I'm fully caffinated and awake :-)
DeleteThat postcard image is interesting. Along with that one, I now have a few pictures of the building. I need to see if I can put them together into some sort of collage / sequence to show how the building has changed over time. Thanks for letting me know about this piece of the buildings history.
DeleteHere's what Carstens had to say about the building in the 50th anniversary issue: "Following Penn's retirement, the new publisher, Hal Carstens, moved the headquarters to 6 E. Main St. in Ramsey, to a venerable Victorian structure later immortalized by an E. L. Moore article and a subsequent kit from AHM. Only a portion of the building was modeled by E.L., but it included the part occupied by RMC, which overlooked the Erie mainline."
DeleteELM's interior for the Ramsey Journal was rather whimsical. As I recall, his contraption to send heavy stuff up to the 2nd floor took up most of the building!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think he had an elevator in there. I need to check my kit.
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