Artifacts of futures that might have been: the art of the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild models
Photos courtesy GSL 25 Championship.
While we noted a couple weeks ago that hundreds of Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild models have gone missing in the decades since GM bought the models from the boys across America that submitted them for the contest, that doesn’t mean none remain. In fact, dozens of the models recently went on display at the 25th annual GSL International Scale Vehicle Model Championship and Convention, and the organizers of that display were kind enough to supply us with photos of the models and the names of the boys—now men—who built them.
What really stands out among these models is what you don’t really see – any obvious correlations with GM automobile designs. Yes, here and there one has a passing resemblance to a GM concept car of the Fifties or Sixties, but the designs here seem to take just as much, if not more, influence from Ed Roth’s cars and the Jetsonian vision of the future than from anything Earl’s or Mitchell’s men were churning out.
In addition, the craftsmanship looks amazing, more so considering the boys who built these did so on kitchen tables and not in Detroit studios. We’ve yet to research all the names attached to the models, some of which we’ve seen before, but it wouldn’t surprise us to find out that many of these boys and young men went on to careers in art, design, or even at General Motors.
Jeff Jones, Porterville CA, age 13 – 1962 California state award, (left); Jeff Jones, Porterville CA, age 14 – 1963 California state award (right).
Jeff Jones, Porterville CA, age 15 – 1964 California state award(left); Jeff Jones, Porterville CA, age 16 – 1965 California state award (right).
Jeff Jones, Porterville CA , age 17 – 1966 California state award (left); Robert W. Lawhn, Houston TX, age 20 – 1967 National Styling Scholarship (right).
Robert W. Lawhn, Houston TX, age 19 – 1966 First state Texas and Regional award, Senior Division (left); Warren M. Bakken, Grand Forks ND, age 14 – 1952 First state ND and Regional award, Junior Division (right).
Warren M. Bakken, Grand Forks ND, age 15 – 1953 First National Junior Scholarship (left); Gary A. Graham, Bellingham WA, age 19 – 1954 First National Senior Scholarship (This is a reproduction of the original model built by Gary for the 2013 Guild Reunion) (right).
George E. Anderson, Detroit MI, age 17 – 1955 Honorable Mention, Michigan award (left); George E. Anderson, Detroit MI, age 20 – “Automotive Speed Form” he made at the Art Center College of Design, circa 1958 (right).
John L Jacobus, Baltimore MD, age 20 – 1966 First state Maryland, Senior Division (left); Wilfred C. Keagy, New Enterprise PA, age 18 – 1952 First state PA and Regional award, Senior Division (right).
Wilfred C. Keagy, New Enterprise PA, age 19 – 1953 Third National Senior Scholarship (left); Ron Will, Hobart, IN, age 19 – 1961 First National Senior Scholarship (right).
Newell G. Bringhurst, Salt Lake City Utah, age 17 – 1959 First State Utah and Regional award, Senior Division (left); Eugene Simone, Providence RI, age 15 – 1960 Fourth National Junior Scholarship (right).
Gerald Simone, Providence RI, age 21 – 1962 First Rhode Island and Regional Award, Senior Division (left); Anthony Simone, Providence RI, age 15 – 1961 First National Junior Scholarship (right).
George Prentice, Columbus Nebraska, age 21 – 1965 National Styling Scholarship (left); Joseph Arnold, Atlanta GA, age 18 – 1961 National Styling Scholarship (right).
Ronald R. Steinhilber, Wayne NJ, age 17 – 1961 First state New Jersey and Regional Award (left); Ronald R. Steinhilber, Wayne NJ, age 18 – 1962 National Styling Scholarship (right).
Newell G. Bringhurst, Salt Lake City UT, age 21 – 1963 First state Utah, Senior Division (left); Thomas H. Semple, Medford OR, age 19 – 1964 First National Senior Scholarship (right).
Geza A. Loczi, Scottsdale AZ, age 19 – 1964 National Styling Scholarship, Senior Division (left); Geza A. Loczi, Scottsdale AZ, age 20 – 1965 First National Senior Scholarship (right).