This is a continuation of 216.46.163.97/forums/Forum19/HTML/000110.html

A discussion on the Statue of Liberty by Harbour Lights. For convenience, I'm repeating the main photo. There is also a detailed photo on the earlier thread.





[This message has been edited by JChidester (edited 10-19-99).]

What a difference in the two pictures! I'm glad you put a link to the new picture at the top of this continuing topic.
I received my membership card from the National Lighthouse Center and Museum, and SoL was mentioned prominently in the accompanying letter. I feel this organization had a lot to do with this HL.
http://www.lighthousemuseum.org/nylights.htm

Thanks St. John for the picture.

When I saw it the first time, I thought it was a beautiful piece, maybe not "usual" for HL but a beauty in it's own right. I thought the detail in the bricks on the pedestal made it one of a kind. Your photo only verifies that to me and I look forward to seeing it in person.

Joanne

Wow. That's really something. I think they should break with tradition and give the sculptor credit on LETW. That's just too impressive not to give credit where credit's due.

If you plan on adding this piece to your collection or not, it is hard to deny how impressive this piece looks. My kudos to Y&A for a job well done.

As for me, I am taking a "wait and see" attitude on my purchase plans. From the start of rumors on this piece, I was against the SoL being sculpted, but the photos here are kinda having an effect on me. While it will never have a home in the curios with HL brothers and sisters, I think I could find a place for the LETW somewhere in my home.

-Todd

AMAZING:

Many who do not like the SOL piece or LETW because it is "not a great light" or the price is too high, will with the same breath of air buy every LE, every little boat that is made, memorial trees, and then turn around and buy every GLOW, with each and every mistake, every re-done, each and every color of water change, each retired and re-issued so they can have 10 of one light in the front of their collection???????? go figure!
It will be on my shelf and I will be proud to display it and tell the story. And I will make a wager that we will see Brady standing in front of the SOL with the LETW in hand with a matching shirt!
rothflol.

Jake Toering

I will take that bet!

Saint WackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

When are you headed for New York, Paul? LOL

I forgot to ask what are the dimensions of the SoL? (Height & Width)

Glad that the latest photo of SOL gives everyone a better idea of what the piece looks like. I keep reading your posts and still stood on my naked eye view that it is a nice HL piece. In many respects I think it has a dimension that other HL pieces don't have.

The photos that I took in Atlanta were probably effected colorwise by the lights in the room we were meeting. If I remember correctly the photo was taken inside one of the cases and I moved my position before taking it hoping that it wouldn't be too bright. Thanks, John, for the new look at this great addition to HL's lighthouses.
Derith

I have to admit that this second photo has got an ember glowing in my previously cold fireplace. I may just have to find a location near (but not in) my curios.

Hi Derith,

You're pictures were terrific. The one John posted had special effects of backlighting which highlighted the piece.

Joanne

>>give the sculptor credit <<

...that would be Frederick Auguste Bartholdi

I'm sure HL is well aware of the Statue of Liberty Collectors Club. Here's their Web site: www.statueoflibertyclub.com/

Check the SoL version designed by Lee Iacocca and also their classified ads. From the 1996 Hallmark SoL ornament to a spoon with SoL on the handle to something called 'The Book of New York Smells' to the 'SoL Nesting Doll' to the Sol 'Boyd's Bears', I'm sure the HL piece will fit right in.
__
/im (waiting for the Sand Island Beanie Baby )
[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 10-20-99).]

Hail to Frederick Auguste Bartholdi!

A tidbit about this sculpture. While I don't know who sculpted it, I do know it was not done by any of the regular sculptors that Harbour Lights uses.

Sculpting the human form is an art unto itself. Hail to the anonymous sculpture who made this piece.

[This message has been edited by JChidester (edited 10-19-99).]

I think this goes to show the effect a good photo can have on the presentation of the piece and the emotions it can evoke from the viewer. Is this a Paul Brady job? If so it just goes to show the level of his skill and art as a photographer. Plus the fact that he doesn't let his personal bias against the piece interfere with his job as a photographer. Whoever the photographer, my hat is off to them. I beleive LETW is a piece I will own.

Paul has not yet gotten this piece to photograph.

The first photo posted on the previous thread were courtesy of Derith Bennett. Derith got this shot under less than perfect conditions and I painted the backgroud a gray color.

The photo at the top of this thread (and the one of American Shoal in another thread) are from Harbour Lights. This is the 'Publicity' photo, taken by a studio in San Diego. This photo is circulated to reps and dealers and you may see some published in collector magazines.

Just out of curiosity I would like to know whether those folks who don't like or are lukewarm to the Statue of Liberty piece felt the same way about the Legacy pieces prior to their issuance. I wasn't privy to general viewer comments at that time, but I would think the same general lines of reasoning being applied now would have applied equally well then - It's not a true lighthouse, I've never visited it, I have no ties to a fictional piece, you can buy non-lighthouse sculptures anywhere, etc. Even though I happen to like the SoL sculpture I would probably acquire it anyway just because it was issued by HL. I think it's difficult for a great many collectors, no matter what smaller subset of lights they started with, not to expand their sights over time into more and more areas. I wouldn't be surprised if this also applied to many of those who don't think they're collectors, only lovers of lighthouses. Back to the original question. Are there people who don't feel they will acquire the Statue of Liberty piece, but who do already own one of the Legacy pieces?

I bought the blue legacy piece because it's a nice way to instantly identify the name of the collection, and because it was retired. I bought the red (and much rarer) legacy because the dealer had it marked at retail price...so it was a steal.

Do I like them artistically? Not really. They're whimsical enough, but they don't display the architectural accuracy and detail that the rest of the collection does.

I wonder if Harbour Lights is planning on doing a new legacy piece. If so, will they use a real lighthouse, a fantasy light...or simply go with a generic nautical motif. In my opinion, they should do a sculpture of their logo with North Head Light. It would be a good opportunity to make up for the fact that the scale of the original North Head sculpture is woefully inaccurate.

This is my final post on the subject……

Pause……………

Pause………………

I had to wait until the cheering died down.

Some people have seemed to have missed the main point of my posts concerning the SoL being the lighthouse representing the Millennium. I feel that Pharos would be a much better choice as that special issue Millennium Lighthouse and that Pharos is much more important in the history of lighthouses.

Saint WackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

I think SOL is a wonderful piece. It will have a prominent place in our home. While it may not have the lighthouse history of Pharos, it represents all the good things of the USA (at least to me). When I see it, I think of the hope it filled many an immigrant's heart with. When I read about it, the heart swells with pride for what it stand for. For a lighthouse collectible company founded in America, celebrating it's tenth year of business as the new millennium dawns, what better choice for a limited edition than the Statue of Liberty.
Having said that, I do hope that Pharos does
appear on our Harbour Light shelves in the future because of it's great history.
Just thoughts of a newbie slowly working towards wacko status.
KEEP THE FLAME.

Harbour Lights refers to the Statue of Liberty piece as a "Turn of the Century" item, not as a "Millennium" item. Semantics, but as Paul notes above, his criticism was that SoL was an American symbol, not a world class item.

As John points out, Harbour Lights is issuing the SoL as a "Turn of the Century" item, not as a "Millenium Lighthouse" item. Paul's position regarding the SoL's relative importance as a lighthouse may be just as applicable, but of course any alternative choices would have to exclude Pharos.

Maybe HL will recognize the "true" new millenium, beginning Jan 1, 2001 (don't get me started), with a Millenium Lighthouse! Maybe it will be Pharos! But then again, maybe it will be the Empire State Building . . .

Bruce

Careful Paul, HL will have to make the Beaver II award.
I agree that it is the turn of the Century piece, I think that they have something up their sleave for the Millennium. Santa Claus told me that you would be getting it for Christmas if you were a nice guy like we all know you are. If not, you will be demoted to WACKO and your lovely wife will be asked to talk in your place.

Jake Toering

In my opinion there would be no better way for HL to celebrate the year 2000 than with SOL an icon of the oldest continuos govt.!

As a side note I received my L.H.D. catalog today and on the front cover is Fraser's
version of Hatteras on the move as a YR 2000
special .

Lonnie
on the Delmarva Penn.

[This message has been edited by Lonnie Davidson (edited 10-20-99).]

[This message has been edited by Lonnie Davidson (edited 10-20-99).]

The post about Pharos reminded me of something Bill Younger was talking about at the signing. He said that all the international pieces with maybe the exception of the Canadian ones will be coming under the blanket of the "Pharos Line"
This may have been brought up somewhere earlier so if it is old news I'm sorry. It would seem that if there is going to be a "Pharos Line" then there should be a replica of Pharos.

According to a "Reliable Source", the problem with Pharos is that no two illustrations of it are the same... Which one to make?

Rumor has it that St Paul acquired a hieroglyphic drawing of Pharos but found it to look to much like the SoL!
The Conspiracy continues...
LOL - couldn't resist!!!!!

From what I have seen n the pictures that were posted, it is very detailed. I will be adding this piece to my collection.



The Flame

Why not look at the real thing. Here is a link to a web cam focused on the SOL. You have to view this during daylight hours and it is quite worth it to visit this site at different times of the day.
www.sccorp.com/cam/


"TheLightkeeper"

[This message has been edited by TheLightkeeper (edited 10-22-99).]

I've got a question for anyone qualified to answer it. What part, if any, of the Statue of Liberty being produced by Harbour Lights is pewter? I would hope that the statue itself would be pewter to lessen the chance of breakage. I would assume the rest of the piece is made out of the normal "whatcha-ma-callit" stuff that HL uses to make the lighthouses.

Is it hollow to cut down on the overall weight? If it's solid, it must be a heavy piece. Inquiring minds on the East Coast, where it's 60 degrees and very sunny, would like to know.

Bob

"A picture is worth a thousand words"
Pretty awesome looking, that LoL is! Just don't feel it "fits in" - we wouldn't know where to put it. We're REAL picky about our HL display!

Seattle Sailors

Bill and the rep said that since the unveiling of the SOL picture, most dealers have been getting in upwards of 20-30 reservations for it at signings. Whether True/False, I don't know. I helped work for North Hill Gift shop during their event yesterday, and I know they took at least 10. Seems like it will be popular, but I don't know what the hub-bub is of "pre-ordering". You have the whole year to check them out in person first, before deciding.

John Wisnewski took 15 pre-orders for the what-cha-ma-call-it at the Bayside Treasues signing yesterday.

SaintWackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

Hmmm. Are any of those 15 headed to the Brady household?

Nope.

Thanks for the picture. I liked it in person at the Atlanta event, and I still like it.

Rusty

Why I won't buy the Statue of Liberty piece for my "lighthouse" collection:

1. SoL's primary purpose is not, and never was, to serve as an aid to navigation. For this reason, I also include only Anchor Bay pieces that are lightships in my collection.

2. It's inclusion would detract from what I consider the cohesiveness of my collection.

3. There are many "real" (per 1. above) HL lighthouses that I want in my collection and still don't have.

4. What Paul Brady said.

5. It's a turn-of-the-century piece a year early.


Why I will buy the Statue of Liberty piece and find some place to display it outside my lighthouse collection:


1. IT'S AWESOME !

I saw it recently at a Bill Younger signing event, and just seeing it was worth the trip. Of course, chatting with Bill, getting signatures, buying Wind Point at retail, etc. were also worth the trip. But all issues of inappropriateness (is that a word?) aside, the sculpting, the detail, and especially the stonework, are magnificent. Just plain gotta have it!