The model castle my friend and I made from cardboard, construction paper and Christmas tree lights in my basement. It's about three feet tall; openings gave views into three-dimensional mini-diorama scenes. From the left, a Victorian parlor opening to the hall where Alice in Wonderland (a cut-out from a comic book) meets the talking Doorknob. Out of sight above, a window shows her fall down the rabbit hole. Next, Alice's forest meeting with the Cheshire Cat, who appears and disappears via a rear-illuminating blinking light. The castle has a moonlit courtyard, bright ballroom and a fire-lit dungeon. A chapel with flying buttresses and rose window has pipe organ music supplied by a small loudspeaker inside. We cut up the strings of lights to get them into the right positions, joining the wires with electrical tape. It's a wonder we didn't burn the house down. The inspiration was the diorama scenes inside Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. This Kodachrome really doesn't do it justice, but trying to get a good exposure was devilishly difficult. I'd been describing my work on this project to my new acquaintance in our sophomore year at Redwood High; it fired his imagination and soon we were collaborating on it, and thus began a lifelong friendship. View full size.
The model castle my friend and I made from cardboard, construction paper and Christmas tree lights in my basement. It's about three feet tall; openings gave views into three-dimensional mini-diorama scenes. From the left, a Victorian parlor opening to the hall where Alice in Wonderland (a cut-out from a comic book) meets the talking Doorknob. Out of sight above, a window shows her fall down the rabbit hole. Next, Alice's forest meeting with the Cheshire Cat, who appears and disappears via a rear-illuminating blinking light. The castle has a moonlit courtyard, bright ballroom and a fire-lit dungeon. A chapel with flying buttresses and rose window has pipe organ music supplied by a small loudspeaker inside. We cut up the strings of lights to get them into the right positions, joining the wires with electrical tape. It's a wonder we didn't burn the house down. The inspiration was the diorama scenes inside Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. This Kodachrome really doesn't do it justice, but trying to get a good exposure was devilishly difficult. I'd been describing my work on this project to my new acquaintance in our sophomore year at Redwood High; it fired his imagination and soon we were collaborating on it, and thus began a lifelong friendship. | Click image for Comments. | Home | Browse All Photos