Durango Press Newspaper Office as a Photographer's Studio

[jerryrbeach]

Coming on nicely, Jerry.

Once again I used my old favorite, some Masonite

I use styrene for this - but I buy mine in large sheets from a local manufacturer - at about 1/10th of the cost of the hobby shop.

I also have some paint company brochures I downloaded that are ca. 1920, so I can check that the color schemes I have chosen are close to available colors at the time.  Overthinking much???

No.  I have the same (or similar) and do the same.  I've found some useful information here:
https://www.resene.co.nz/homeown/use_colr/colour_schemes.htm

If you click into the 'railway cottage' for example, it talks you through what parts would be painted what colours.  Also, I copied and pasted some of the historical examples of colours used in actual buildings eg 'St Augustine's, Petone', and got a few good images with nice historic colour schemes.  I realise this in New Zealand buildings, but architecture and colours followed the trends in the USA - so there should be a lot of similarities.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark,

It seems amazing to me that something like that is readily available online.  I need to play around with it more.  Thanks for posting the link.

Jerry

[jerryrbeach]

Nice looking interior so far.  You could just print a picture of a door and framing and glue it to the wall.  I doubt many would notice it's flat and not 3 D.

Jeff

Jeff,

Honestly, I never thought of that.  I usually use leftover doors from some Clever Models paper kits.  Seems like I have "Duh" moments far more often than I would like. 

Jerry

[jerryrbeach]

Here is a shot of the details I painted for the interior.  Chairs are from Faller, stove from B.E.S.T., the woman is an out of production Musket Miniatures figure I think.  The photographer is a Langley Models casting my friend Jim gave me.  I built the counter from styrene.  The back is open and the counter conceals an LED that comes through a hole in the floor.  

[jerryrbeach]

Here are some shots of the finished interior.  The piece of clapboard siding against the rear wall of the building covers the hole for the door in the rear wall.  I often do this with my structures when it cannot be seen.  this gives me a large gluing surface for the door casting rather than just gluing it in place along the edges of the door opening. 

The front windows are microscope slide glass.  As you can see, I'm still learning how to get clean square cuts.  Since the glass cannot be seen unless you remove the roof I decided to use it anyway. 

I think I already mentioned I used a piece of black tissue paper to allow access to the rear darkroom area.  Remembering to add a door would have been better, but when viewing the interior through the front windows it looks OK, at least to me. 

[Jerry]

Jerry some very nice details.  Great job on the placement to.

Jerry

[Mark Dalrymple]

Really neat, Jerry.

Cheers, Mark.

[Zephyrus52246]

Nice job on the interior, especially the photos on the wall.  

Jeff

[PRR Modeler]

Great details.

[deemery]

Suggest "hanging a sheet" behind the couple being photographed.  Some tall plants would also be typical for 19th century photography studios.  

I like how this is coming together!

dave

[jerryrbeach]

Jerry some very nice details.  Great job on the placement to.

Jerry

Thanks.  I wish I had moved the interior wall back further.  I had planned for a wood box and more details, but I think the floor space would have been overcrowded if I added any more to the interior.

[jerryrbeach]

Really neat, Jerry.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark,  

Thanks for dropping by and checking it out.

[jerryrbeach]

Nice job on the interior, especially the photos on the wall. 

Jeff

Jeff,

Thank you.  I figured a photographer would have some of his work on display, so...   I just googled black and white photos on the internet, there were many to choose from. 

[jerryrbeach]

Great details.

Curt,

Thank you.  I enjoy adding an interior to smaller structures, especially those with large windows. 

[jerryrbeach]

Suggest "hanging a sheet" behind the couple being photographed.  Some tall plants would also be typical for 19th century photography studios. 

I like how this is coming together!

dave

Dave,

That is a great idea.  I'm not sure what best to use for that.  It seems to me tissue paper is too thin.  I'm thinking Scott toilet paper, but I hate to buy a roll to get just a small piece.  I tried to find a very subtle wallpaper but the ones I found were "too subtle", looked more like blank walls.  I think the wallpaper is "too busy" for portrait photos.  The sheet would be "just right".  I had not thought of adding plants either.  Thanks for your suggestions.  

[jerryrbeach]

OK.  I'm going to wrap this up with the "final" photos.  Per Dave's suggestion I want to add a sheet on the wall for a photo background.  As I mentioned, I am still thinking about how best to do that. 

Nevertheless, here are some shots of the "finished" structure.  Obviously, it needs steps to both the front and back doors, something I plan to leave until I have figured out exactly where it will go on the layout. 

I admit I cheated by taking the interior shot by removing the roof rather than hooking up batteries to the LED that is hidden under the counter.

FWIW, the late J. J. Young, Jr. was a well known railroad photographer.  His photos grace quite a few railroad books.