Polaroid SX-70 Commercial by Eames
Why would you want to watch a 10 minute commercial about a camera from the 1970s and an instant film that no longer exists? Because it was produced by Charles and Ray Eames, that's why.
Tim Biskup Mold-A-Rama Toy
Once again, my interests and worlds have crossed paths. Tim Biskup, maker of the Tigetlily toy that sits on my shelf, and Rotofugi, an art toy store in Chicago, have modified a Mold-A-Rama machine to "mass" produce an art toy.
The machine's called the Roto-A-Matic and it makes a Helper Dragon (a cyclops dragon with wings). Here it is in action.
If you can't make it to Chicago, they sell the Roto-A-Matic toys online. Colors change as Rotofugi swaps out polyethylene, so if you want them all, you're going to have to check back often.
Blue Mid-Century Modern Eichler Doors
When we painted our mid-century modern door blue, we didn't realize how extremely Eichler it was. It makes me love our blue front door even a little bit more.
Mid-Century Mold-A-Rama Machine in Action
I forgot that I took video of the Mold-A-Rama machine at the San Antonio Zoo in action.
It's more impressive in person. But as a kid, the loud noises, crazy pumps and big steel blocks being pressed together all add to the experience. In the end, it seems like your Mold-A-Rama mold was almost made by magic.
Mid-Century Mold-A-Rama Machines
When I was a kid, every time we went to the Brookfield Zoo, we got a Mold-A-Rama figure. The evidence of that lives in our travel-theme nursery. I also had a spaceship from the Museum of Science and Industry, but I lost that a long time ago.
Needless to say, Mold-A-Rama machines hold happy memories for me. And as an adult, I love the mid-century look of them.
So much so that at one point I was seriously looking into buying a Mold-A-Rama machine. But, when I realized it would have to live in the garage, I decided it wasn't worth the expense.
I assumed they weren't out in the wild anymore, but we stopped by the San Antonio Zoo recently and they had a collection of Mold-A-Rama machines there.
They had an orange giraffe Mold-A-Rama
A blue koala
And a gray elephant (among other).
All the details are as I remember them, especially the warning where you picked up your final mold.
All the space-age dials are there.
And the (now quaint) coins only detail.
Because the price is definitely more modern.
In the end, the kid wanted a giraffe (even though they don't have giraffes at the San Antonio Zoo).
So we put this miniature plastic factory to work.
And the kid got a giraffe.
Here's what he looks like now that it's in our home.
And here's what it looks like among my childhood collection of Mold-A-Rama molds.
All of mine say Brookfield Zoo on the base, while the kid's says San Antonio Zoo.
I'll have to make sure that every time we go to the zoo, another San Antonio base gets added to the collection.
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