Micromodel
Three-Dimensional, Volumetric card models in a packet.
Micromodels were a form of card or paper model that gained popularity in the United Kingdom during the 1940s and 1950s. Geoffrey Heighway created and introduced this new approach to card models in 1941. He took the existing idea of card models and shrunk them down, making it possible to package an entire train or building inside a packet of postcards. These packets typically cost around a shilling, or pocket change.
The product caught on quickly after its release in the 1940s, and building Micromodels became a national hobby. The phrase "Your Workshop in a Cigar Box" remains well-known among paper modelers today. Another slogan used was "Three-Dimensional, Volumetric." During the war years, the models were especially well-liked because they were highly portable, allowing builders to work on them anywhere. Stories tell of people appreciating them for being small enough to carry along, so if they were stuck in a bomb shelter during an air raid, they had something engaging to do. Some railway Micromodels were distributed in Australia as small stapled books instead of individual postcards.
The original Micromodels covered a range of subjects, including trains, planes, ships, boats, buildings, cars, and a dragon. There were 82 original Micromodel packets, from which 121 separate models could be built. The company also released items such as how-to booklets and powdered glue. Heighway continued releasing models from 1941 until he fell seriously ill in 1956, and he died in 1959. Several models that Heighway had listed in his catalogs and advertisements were never actually released for various reasons; these are referred to as the "Might have beens."
Today, Micromodels are considered collectible, and some rare original packets can cost thousands of dollars, while others are easier to find. Other products similar to or based on Micromodels have appeared, including those from Modelcraft Ltd. and a set of books featuring enlarged versions of some of Heighway's models, completed by Myles Mandell. Several designers have also released new models in the Micromodel style, such as MicromodelsUSA.
- Inventor
- Geoffrey Heighway
- Year introduced
- 1941
- Country of origin
- United Kingdom
- Original packets
- 82
- Separate models from packets
- 121
- Period of release
- 1941–1956
- Year of inventor's death
- 1959
Lore & Background
Geoffrey Heighway invented and marketed Micromodels in 1941, taking the available concept of card models and miniaturizing them so that an entire train or building could be wrapped in a packet of post cards. These packets usually sold for about a shilling, or pocket change. The product caught on, and Micro-modeling became a national pastime in the United Kingdom. During the war years, the models were especially popular as they were extremely portable and builders could work on them anywhere; anecdotes say people liked them because they were small enough to take along, so if stuck in a bomb shelter during an air raid, one had something interesting to do.
The subjects of original Micromodels included trains, planes, ships, boats, buildings, cars, and a dragon. There were 82 original Micromodel packets, from which one could make up 121 separate models. Heighway continued to release models from 1941 until he became seriously ill in 1956, and he died in 1959. Several models that Heighway had mentioned in his catalogs and advertising were never released for one reason or another; these were known as the 'Might have beens.' Several of the railway Micromodels were distributed in Australia in the form of small stapled books, rather than individual postcards.
Reader's Guide
Micromodels are considered collectable, with some rare originals obtainable only for thousands of dollars, while others are more easily obtainable. The slogan 'Your Workshop in a Cigar Box' is still widely quoted among paper modelers, and their other slogan was 'Three-Dimensional, Volumetric.' The concept influenced later products, including those by Modelcraft Ltd. and a set of books based on enlargements of some of Heighway's Micromodels, finished by Myles Mandell. Several designers have released new Micromodel-style models, including MicromodelsUSA. The legacy of Micromodels endures through ongoing production by entities such as DG Models, which owns some of the original plates, and Micromodels - London Ltd., as well as through new, re-issued, and revised models from MicromodelsUSA. The models remain a notable chapter in the history of paper modeling, remembered for their portability and the ingenuity of packaging complex structures into postcard-sized packets.
Did You Know?
- Micromodels were invented by Geoffrey Heighway in 1941.
- There were 82 original Micromodel packets, yielding 121 separate models.
- Several unreleased models were known as the 'Might have beens.'
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