Plate and film Cameras
Plate and film Cameras
Battersea Power Station 1955
Battersea Power Station 1955
Battersea Power Station 1955
Cars
Cars
Battersea Power Station 1955
3D Printing
3D Printing
3D Printing
Geological Museum 1975
Geological Museum 1975
Adrian's Memories
Sir James Gardner 1987
Sir James Gardener was the co-designer of the Festival of Britian in 1951
He devoted his life to exhibition design, including 'The Story of the Earth' in the Geological Museum 1970 and the Natural History Museum in Taiwan.
I spent years maintaining and updating the gallery in the Geological Museum, and designed and built many displays for the Taiwan museum in conjunction with Derek Freeborn.
The volcano lighting effects were driven by around 50 faders, each lighting a few lamps. Each fader had adjustable fade rates and and adjustable timer to delay before the next fader operated. In this way we could set a faster rate down the steep slopes and slower movement on the more level areas. When the larva came right down hot air was blown over the visitors feet, unexpected and quite magical. Total consumption was 6KW and at 110V was 25 amps.
The step down transformer we tested it on was very heavy - a 2 man lift.
A projector gave the effects of smoke and flames from the mouth of the volcano and another produced shooting stars. A strobe lightning effect made a few thunderdtorms.
The Taiwan volcano. 5 metres wide, fibreglass construction with 50 channels of automatic fading showing the lava flow down the mountan. Built around 1985
When Derek built a display it was really strong. Here is Derek walking on the volcano display which was over 20 feet wide by 14 feet from front to back
The fader boards handled a total of 6KW of lighting at 110V and driven by a sequence controller long before the days of microprocessors
The animated head of a dinosaur, chewing foliage attached to the rods in his mouth. It swung down into view when a visitor peered closely into a doirama giving them a big surprise.