Aurora Model Kits, by Thomas Graham, Schiffer Publishing, USA, 2004. An earlier version was published as Greenberg's Guide to Aurora Model Kits, Kalmbach Books, 1998.
The same author has also done a history of Aurora Slot Cars, initially published by Kalmbach in 1995, then by Schiffer in 2003.
Thomas Graham is an American writer who has done histories of all the 'Big Three' American kit companies, starting with the now vanished Aurora. The Schiffer volume runs to 175 pages on glossy paper, mainly in colour, with excellent quality photographic reproduction.
The previous Kalmbach edition was 128 pages. A Third Edition appeared in 2017, which runs to 200 pages - this is still available.
The Aurora Plastics Corporation was founded in 1950, in Brooklyn, New York. It started out as a general plastics company, making products for other firms, but soon moved in to toy making on its own.
It began producing model aircraft kits in 1952 - initially copies of Hawk models. The range expanded, with subjects including aircraft - from an extensive range of WW1 types to the latest military and civil jets, ships, cars, military vehicles, figures, and from 1962 their famous line of classic movie monsters.
There were many film and TV related models. The company went through a number of changes in the late 1960s and 1970s, by which time the founders had all left. In 1977 the moulds were sold off to rival Monogram, and the Aurora name disappeared from model shops.
However many of the actual kits have been re-issued over the years, by Monogram, Revell, and smaller outfits such as Polar Lights (a play on the Aurora name). Sadly, some kits have never been re-issued, and are now sought after by collectors.
This is a terrific book, with a detailed history of the company, and brief details of the people behind it. There are a few historic photographs in black and white, but most photos are in colour.
These show artwork, box tops, built-up models, factory built store displays, and prototypes that never made it in to production. A full listing of all the Aurora models made, giving kit number, release date, periods of sale, scale, and brief notes.
Re-issues by other companies and box art variations are covered. There is plenty on the various Aurora film and TV models of the 1960s and 1970s, plus coverage of short-lived oddballs, such as the Guys and Gals of All Nations, the Butterfly sets, and metal-foil covered craft kits.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
I like your excellent review, Paul. Aurora was always a fave of mine as a kid.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I never had any of these kits, but the Aurora range was amazing, and the books are excellent reference sources.
ReplyDeleteYes, a great look at that book Paul, thanks for sharing it. The colour pictures in it look brilliant. Schiffer are such a great publisher for us collectors. As for Aurora, I may have an earlier book I think - its black and white and I've not looked at it in ages, which I regret - Aurora kits by the great Bill Breugman. Bill wrote the seminal Toys of the Sixties, my vintage toy bible https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2015/01/toys-of-sixties-moonbase-book-review.html
ReplyDeleteI've got a couple of books like this, one of which may be an earlier version. For all their brilliance when it came to the way they were sculpted, some parts were an awkward fit and needed quite a bit of work.
ReplyDeleteI never actually made any of them Kid. My older brother had these kits and he made them. The amorous fool gave all his built-ups away to a girl. I should have bought them back off her!
DeleteAh, love makes fools of us all, Woodsy.
DeleteOoh what an amazing book and a great overview Paul!
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