Recently I wrote about how my new building project helped me understand architecture so much better. But last week, when I attended the annual convention of the Souvenir Building Collectors Society, it took my appreciation to a new level.

I joined the SBCS about a year and a half ago. Some people join because they want to share their collections, others are just starting out and want to learn or be inspired. I was mostly learning from seasoned collectors, my understanding of architecture is probably way below most people’s, which has to do with the fact that I have very little access to pictures or building replicas, other than my own. So this year, I decided to join the SBCS convention in Los Angeles to meet the people I was corresponding with, and learn more about buildings.

We stayed in Pasadena, and had about 30 members of the group attending. I knew a couple of the people from last year when we met at the Building Museum, but I only knew the names of the rest of the people from the Facebook group. On the first night right after I arrived, I took a chance and took a seat at the bar, wasn’t a big risk after all, hoping that some other people will have the same idea so I will get to know them before the program started. The idea worked, part of the group was already around a long dinner table where I was able to join and have some conversations. I would say accidentally I set beside a gentleman, Paul, who is an architect, but later I thought it was meant to be, I hope he had the same takeaway.

When I signed up for the convention, the organizers knew that I was blind, but given that it was a mostly visual program, I did not ask anybody to make any changes or accommodations for me. I just wanted to blend in, enjoy the ride, and get whatever I get out of it. For example, during the first full day, we had a Los Angeles sight seeing tour with a guide, who is also a collector. I have been to many guided tours, and I figured even if I just follow the group and listen, I will get enough out of it.

But Paul took me under his wings and walked with me through the entire day, and explained everything. Not only then, but throughout the rest of the convention, he was around and showed me probably hundreds of buildings and explained everything on the level and in the detail that would make sense to me. And it wasn’t just any explanation, but from an architect who could thoroughly explain anything I wanted to know. I hope he also got as much out of the convention as I did. I can’t thank you enough, Paul.

During the city tour, I was going to take some random pictures and make some recordings, but the amount of things to see was so much that it was probably a lot for someone who could see it, it was impossible to even attempt to describe everything, let alone document it. So, very soon I decided that I will give up my ambitious idea of documenting the day, and I will just take in the information. Instead, I did what I often do, at night I tried to put it into a journal, but I quickly found that it was so much information to dump that I ended up to record my thoughts which I can later transcribe into my journal.

We ended the tour in record high temperature, something I have never felt before, it was 109 Fahrenheit, about 20 F more than average for this time of the year.

The rest of the day was spent with dinner, show and tell and conversations.

The following day in the morning we had tables around a room, people could swap and trade their buildings. I brought a few with me, but most tables had much more, all people allowed me to touch the buildings. For that matter, during the entire weekend, it was only a very few instances where I was not able to touch a particular building. In this sense, building collecting is more blind friendly than my other hobby, coin collecting. But for a reason, of course.

During the rest of the weekend, we had a chance to visit four houses, and four collections. The last one was a heritage collection, where we could buy everything. As I am not sure about the privacy requirements, I am not including names and places here, just would like to say that I appreciate that all four families opened their homes for us, and allowed me to touch all the buildings I wanted to. It was really meaningful for me to better understand miniature buildings and architecture in general.

And this is what completely changed my level of understanding. I have to admit, I had no idea what miniature buildings, or replicas really were. I had no idea about the variety that exists. Yes, I always start in the gift store of a tourist site just in case they have souvenir buildings I could buy or touch. But that is mostly contemporary, and not all buildings are about famous tourist sites. I had a chance to touch buildings from over one hundred years, from all continents, in all shapes and sizes. Some were so small I could hide in my palm, some were so heavy it would take an effort to pick up. Some were extremely detailed, others felt like a block.

But even more importantly, I had absolutely no idea about the variations buildings could have. As I wrote in my previous post, I grew up imagining a house as a square with a triangle on top, thin line for chimney, thick line for bell tower. Later I learned that it is a little more than that, but I was still amazed by structures which are most likely obvious for most people who can see them. I had no idea that roof structures can be so diverse, I didn’t know buildings can take so many shapes,, I didn’t understand how is it that certain structures just didn’t collapse. I had no idea how ornate and details certain buildings can be, I often thought that most just have a plain wall. I didn’t understand how so many statues can be on buildings. At the end of the day, I didn’t understand why would anybody build a cube shaped building if you can take so many innovative approaches to it.

What I have learned was that I will probably never understand architecture half as well as someone out of high school who flipped through an art history book and walked through a few towns. But more importantly, now I know that without the proper education, how much information are millions of blind kids are missing around the world, and I have strengthened in my mission that I would like to get more buildings into their hands. This convention gave me so many ideas that I’ll be busy until the next one to implement them.

I attended the SBCS convention because I wanted to learn. I came home having met some wonderful, interesting and educated people, which was even more valuable for me than all the learning. It was great that people were at many different level of collecting, and each one of us had a seat around the table, and we all brought different perspectives. I very much appreciate all the help I received from the group, especially from the organizers so that I can fully enjoy all of the programs. I hope to be there in Montreal next year.