LATEST IN DISPLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 104, 30 October 1939, Page 5

LATEST IN DISPLAY

AUSTRALIAN COURT

ANIMATION AND ILLUSION

Models in still life are all very well up to a point, but given animation their power of portrayal and of capturing the imagination of those for whom they are created to attract soars up about 100 per cent. The greater interest induced by movement is t>eing increasingly recognised in "display work, and the great advances made in this field in recent years are given! practical expression in various .forms j at the National Centennial Exhibition. At the New York World's Fair and| at the San Francisco. Golden Gate Ex- ( bibition motivated models were ■■ a | striking feature. So they are atthe; Exhibition at Wellington. Some of these excellent models already have been described in "The Post," but the animalfion is not con- j fined to models of ships, trains, aeroplanes, and the like. It embraces also what might be described as a field loir;;' people with maturer; minds, a spfifere in which, for example, animation -is given- to scenes. , ['_'■-' ;■ ■ MOVING SCENES. V There are striking examples of this in the Australian Court, near the.main entrances. This is a. court which, both frdm the point of view of its design and.the exhibits it contains, will' be one of the outstanding attractions of the Exhibition. In the section of the main hall devoted to modern Australia and- above brilliantly coloured transparencies at eye level and a photographic mural of tall city buildings are two circular pieces, eight, feet in diameter, representing modern transport amenities available in Australia. One; is a picture of the crack Australian railway train, "Spirit of Progress," wiif eh runs between Albury and Bffelboiirne, and the other a, picture of an "Imperial Airways flying-boat They are beautifuly coloured, but the main point about them is that by the turn of,a switch the illusion of movement is 'created. The wheels of the train , appear to turn, clouds of steam rise, and the landscape whirls,past realistically. Similarly the propellers of the giant flying-boat appear to be moving and!the ship dashing across the water, sending up a cloud of spray. It is a splendid ilhision and a colourful attraction. " life/the end wall of the main hall there is another fine piece bt wdrlf. This,-is an activated diorama of an Australia surf beach; on the golden sun-drenched sands of which are perfectly modelled figures of life-savers an«|., bathers. Beyond the beach synthetic waves break upon the shore. Riding them is a surf boat, behind which spray rises and falls. Surrounding this highly realistic and artistic diorama will be photographic mural s pictures of a girl on a surf board, and "depleting also ski-ing, horse racing, .fishing, and yachting, and, at the" sides, completing the exhibit, there will be three actual surf skis and'four surf boards. Sttnl first-class attraction in the Australian Court is a large panel of "X-ray glass," which changes, as if by magic, from a clear mirror (in which the visitor sees himself and his surroundings reflected) into coloured scenes from Australian factories. Other models include a Broken Hill mine in action and a motor assembly plant, which drives home the message that Australia assembles; a new car about every one and a third minutes; The factory door opens, a bell rings, a clock jumps one and a third minutes, and a streak of green light flashes on the clock tower as a car comes out and takes its place .on the line. BADIO CABINET FADE OUT, In the "device" class there..; isstill another fascinating piece, the purpose of which is to direct attention to Australia's manufacture of radio equipment. One sees a handsomely polished radio cabinet, and then" one does not.;. The- wooden cabinet fades away, .*"■■' ieayi#g only the interior equipment. : - comprise the outstanding.activated exhibits in the-Australian Court, lit which, however, in telling the story Df the (general characteristics of;: the Australian Commonwealth, : its ■ progressf andw development, industrial _activityV*travel attractions, and manifold prbduct&ns, attractive mural paintings •, are used, the cinema, and^. also the , printed:word* ■;.••■ . . An impressive-note is struck by me design of the 'building, an outstanding feature' or Awhlch is the, semi-circular ' towerr of :cl#r, glass comprising the western end, and behind which is revealed the artistic sweep of a geo- ,. metric spiral staircase built on the cantilever principle, as well as something of ihe colourful murals and a glimpse "of-the cultural exhibits on the mezzanine floor. Also suspended behind the "glass is a constellation of *■ lights which at night will represent :,i the Southern Cross. The court is equipped with a cinema hall in which Australian films will be shown. There is an air of spaciousness and brightness* of outlook about the whole of the interior and yet a story is well told. Someone has said that the court represents Australia and Australian temperament, and he is riot wide of the mark.