I thought you might be interested in a look at one of the odder kits in this line, a Pigeon. I am not certain, but I think this kit was later issued by Marusan in Japan.
Renwal Products Inc. of Mineola, New York, was an American kit company. Their most famous products were a line of 'Visible' kits. The outer shell was moulded in clear plastic, allowing the interior to be seen. Kits included engines, and various living creatures, including humans.
One of their odder kits was a 1:1 (life-size) Visible Pigeon kit, released in 1959. It was kit number 812:398, the suffix meaning it sold for $3.98, fairly expensive for 1959. The kit remained available well in to the 1960s. The pigeon is posed standing, with its wings folded, and comes with a small base. Some kits had the internal organs moulded in pink plastic.
This was from a period when US kit companies were heavily promoting the educational value of their kits, with several models tailored specifically to this market. Kits often included a booklet giving background information on the full-size subject, many written by noted experts in their field.
The box top of The Visible Pigeon Assembly Kit states: An Accurate Anatomical Model complete with All Vital Organs, Skeleton, Transparent Skin - assemble - take apart - re-assemble. Oddly, the Renwal name does not appear on the box top, only on the ends of the box.
An introduction to the World of Birds - Includes a 12pg. illustrated Booklet written by Wendell M. Levi, A.B., Ph.B., J.D., foremost authority on pigeons.
Here is the Scalemates entry for this kit.
Oddly, it seems this was not the only life-size visible pigeon kit available. Marusan of Japan also produced a kit in 1967, as number 860. The illustration on the box top suggests this is a different kit to the Renwal model, as the bird is shown with its wings open. The release date given by Scalemates is somewhere around the time the Renwal model was retired, although it is listed as a New Tool.
Illustrations of this model are in short supply, but I did find a sales listing for it - and I now think it is same as the Renwal model. Certainly the base on which the bird stands seems to be the same. Reinforcing this view is the fact that Marusan also did a Visible Boxer Dog, which looks to be the same as the Renwal Visible Boxer.
This site is in Japanese.
It would seem that neither kit has ever been re-issued, unless the Renwal and Marusan kits are indeed the same model.
From the Box Art Den, a copy of the 1966 Renwal catalogue, which still lists this kit. However it is not listed in the 1969 catalogue.
Photographs from Worthpoint.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
I guesse the Pidgeon kit was less common than the other visible kits because it was lower in the pecking order !
ReplyDeleteha ha, good one Mish. I do like this see-through pigeon and all the anatomical kits. My own favourite was the Airfix Skeleton, which I used as the centrepiece for a stage-play in a dining chair theatre played before my parents.
DeleteThank you, Mish. I must admit I had not thought of that. It was fun digging in to the history of these kits, although I never had any of them. There are some very weird kits out there, mainly from the early days of the hobby, in the 1950s and 1960s.
ReplyDeleteWhoo Hoo! Another wonderful Visible series post! As a teen, I had a visible giant bullfrog kit, moulded in transparent green plastic.
ReplyDeleteThis stuff is great inspiration for my Art Toy projects. I'm very close to producing a visible version of my comic book heroine using the wonders of 3D printing, then it's on to the Henshin Cyborgs that have long fascinated me.
By the way, I've just restored a trio of Shogun Warriors toys using laser printing and 3D scanning and printing -given your restoration adventures, is this relevant to Moonbase?
All good for Moonbase Looey. Tell us about those Shoguns! Your projects are always fascinating. Henshins and your own creation. Wow! It must be a wonderful feeling to be able to actually create new toys. Would you like to have a factory?
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