The Little World

At the show, that is.

This fatuous philosophy may make my model displays better in the future. I’ve just seen a wake-up that tells me the viewers need more than what many modellers give them.

My library dioramas – 300mm x 820 mm – are kept to that size by the display cabinet that protects them. I’ve learned over time that too many 1:72 models on that shelf mean that none of them get real attention. I am far better to have one or two aircraft and a vehicle – plus some little figures doing something. People want a story.

I also need to put a label – postcard size – there to explain what is being seen. I frequently use the card to tell a joke, but it is always related to the models on show.

This story telling will be the key to effective exhibition at model shows. One diorama per show – probably the size of a standard trestle table. Not too many labels, but enough to intrigue the viewer and get them looking at the play. And like many stories, it need not be non-fiction…there is a certain leeway for fantasy.

I mean, politicians do it all the time, and what could possibly go wrong…?