Overcoming Obstacles Is Architect’s Job, But He Enjoys It

Adolph Witschard of St. Albans Is Wizard Miniature Autos

Behind the Scenes at the Futurama Guided by Him
Thousands of persons have marveled at the Futurama banks, apartment houses and thea-
exhibit at the World Fair. They have talked of the uncanny tre marquees. Six years ago he
realism of its model villages, the grandeur of its mountains, went in business for himself and
the beauty of its cities. still maintains his own office.
But the impression that has lived longest in their memo- “Relaxation?” he smiled, “I
ries has been the sight of thousands of miniature automobiles don’t have time to relax. After
keeping these 16,000 miniature
speeding over the highways of tomorrow, highways that
automobiles running all day, I go
enable man to move with safety, speed, and comfort. home and work on plans for an
And the man responsible for this animation that adds life apartment house which will be
and movement to this vision of the future is Adolph Witchard, built shortly in Jamaica. Or I con-
an architect, who lives at 188-01 Baisley boulevard, St. Albans. centrate on redesigning three thea-
Short stocky and soft-spoken, Witchard is the guiding tre marquees which I designed
genius of the maze of passages and catwalks that surround the some years ago.
most popular exhibit at the Fair. “On the weekend I like to have
From his office, a cubbyhole in one corner of the machine my wife, Mercedes, pack up a
shop, Witchard supervises the 16,000 miniature automobiles lunch and we go to a park with the
children. We have three boys, Arne
which travel along the 20,000 feet Witchard explained. But the prob- is 15, Rolando is 11, and Gilbert,
of road. It was at his draftsman’s lem was to supply for the workmen the youngest, is 7.
board, choked with the orderly a method of reaching all portions
“No, none of them has shown
litter of a busy man, that plans of the model and, at the same time,
any interest in becoming an archi-
were drawn for the flexible chain keep the cranes and catwalks out
tect. The only one who has
which is the secret of the anima- of sight.
expressed any ambition for a par-
tion. “The illusion was all impor- ticular field is Arne. He wants to
When the orderly villagers and tant,” he said. “We must let noth- be a doctor now. But he is young
twisting roads of the exhibit were ing interfere with it. There are and perhaps will change his mind.
nothing but lines on a blueprint, many things that must constantly
Witchard was working in a be repaired if the model is to retain
CHILDREN FREE TO CHOOSE
Manhattan studio assisting in its realistic appearance. The 16,000 - miniature automobiles which speed along the express highways in the THEIR OWN CAREER
designing the road contours and “For example, you may have Futurama at the World Fair are the responsibility of Adolph Witchard, St. Albans “When the time comes, he will
models of the buildings which noticed the many shining rivers architect. He is holding one of the hollow tubes which, weighted with buckshot, hold the choose his own occupation. I don
later would bring gasps of wonder and lakes. The surfaces of these
sprockets level and guide the little cars into their proper lanes. The weight arrangement, not believe in forcing a young man
from passengers in the conveyer bodies of water become dusty in
as well as the flexible chain which guides the autos along the roads, are his inventions. or woman to follow the job which
chairs. time and look dull and artificial.
the man of the family adopted.
Then a workman uses a traveling
Each person must be free to make
FIRST DESIGNED LIGHTING crane, descends in the model and
decisions of this kind for himself.”
FOR EXHIBIT AT FAIR with a little polishing wax, applies Witchard took over the job, the model was netted with 20,000 feet aviators.” Witchard smiled. “We
What talent must a young man
During the first week of a new finish to the river or lake in cars were operated along a slim of brass tubing through which also had to construct two new
cable composed of thousands of Witchard must thread whatever ramps for the Ford Building. And have is he is to succeed as an archi-
December, 1938, Witchard was question.”
metal. substitute he could devise for the then there were innumerable tect?”
transferred from the studio to the
metal cable. minor changes to be made in the “That question is not as easy as
Fair, It was his job to design a light- KEEPING TREES IN PLACE slugs.
“That was the real problem,” he Futurama modle. it sounds.” Witchard smiled.
ing system for the exhibit and to DIFFICULT PROBLEM These slugs in time separated
“First, he must be able to draft and
devise means of cleaning, ventilat- Trees which topple over on the because of the friction on them said, “It would be easy to plan design, but most important of all,
ing and repairing the model with- face of the model are another prob- and jammed the sprockets which some sort of conveyor for the little SEVERAL VISITS REQUIRED
cars, but I had to get something to TO SEE EVERYTHING he must like the work.”
out interfering with the specta- lem which must be met. While kept them moving.
“it may be slavery, but it is nice
tor’s view. there are wooded sections in the “That would mean long hours of fit those tubes. They cost plenty of “The average visitor doesn’t
even if the clients don’t pay their
“First, we had the problem of model which are formed by masses disentangling jammed cables.” money and I couldn’t rip them appreciate the amount of work
bills. Provided, of course, the man
constructing catwalks so that of colored sponge, most of the trees Witchard remembered. “We had out.” that went into the model. To the
The problem was finally solved man or woman who sees the is genuinely interested in his
workmen could get out over the are placed individually in the face to have a great many more men
work.”
model itself,” he explained. of the model. than we have anew because most when Witchard designed a flexible Futurama only once, it offers too
“Some time ago I tried to get out
“These catwalks had to be con- “It was necessary to drill a hole of them spent their time untying chain. Each link was loosely much. He can get only scattered of this work. I bought a chain of
structed so that they would not for each miniature tree,” Witchard knots while others performed the welded to its neighbor so that the impressions. But the person who
hang down in view of the specta- said. “The trunk of the tree was repairs on the face of the model.” whole chain could bend around visits two or three times will notice hotels, but I couldn’t stay in that
business. In a few days I knew
tors and ruin the illusion which coated with glue and placed in the After the slug system was dis- curves. But the entire chain has a something new each time.
Norman Bel Geddes had created.” hole. The next time you ride carded, a wire cable with small tensile strength of more than 350 Wi t c h a r d i s a n a t i v e o f enough about the work to do it
efficiently. There were no longer
After careful study, Witchard throughout he exhibit, notice the slugs soldered at every inch and a pounds. Switzerland. He was born in
“After that the whole thing was Lorche Ville, in the Canten Valals, any problems to solve.
decided to construct one master thousands of trees and you’ll real- half was adopted. But this, too,
catwalk which would run the ize the work that was required.” proved impractical because the child’s play,” Witchard said. “The near the Italian and French bor- “But an architect has a new prob-
lem every day. Always he is put on
entire length fo the model. And here another problem pre- wiring had to be subjected to a chain was threaded through the ders. his mettle and must justify himself
Radiating from it to all portions of sented itself. The lights beating on great deal of pressure to avoid brass tubes and attached to At the age of 19—that was 24
the model were strung a series of the model generate terrific heat slack in the lines. sprockets which were driven by a years ago—he came to this coun- by succeeding continually. He
compact traveling cranes. motor with a special speed reducer try and enrolled in the Mechanics cannot fail. In these times of
which would be sufficient to crack international distress and orga-
“We have at lest 50 of these the face of the model and ignite the CABLE SYSTEM JAMMED attached. “With a few inches dif- Institute in Manhattan. He then
ference in the diameter of a attended the Bronx Arts Institute. nized industry, it is comforting to
small cranes,” Witchard said. trees and buildings. CAUSING TRAFFIC JAM
sprocket we could make cars in He was licensed as an architect in know that you are engaged in a
“With their aid a workman can “A ventilating system was “Under this pressure the
neighboring lanes travel at differ- 1927. profession whose aim is to create
leave the catwalk and propel him- installed.” Witchard said. “it was metal slugs again loosened and
ent speeds.” and not destroy.
self over a portion of the model vitally necessary because in some jammed the sprockets in turn Since that time he has tackled
which may need attention. He places the lights generated so fouling the cables,” Witchard When the Fair closed last year, many types of architectural prob- “It gives me a big kick to start
then lowers himself to the model, much heat that the temperature remarked. “In other words the Witchard became resident archi- lems. He assisted Henry Baker in with nothing but an empty piece of
does his work and then cranks was a high as 103 degrees on the casual visitor would think we tect at the General Motors exhibit designing the Lincoln Memorial in ground and create a building that
himself up to the ceiling and back face of the model.” and supervised alterations which Washington, D. C. and worked for will be useful to the community.
were having traffic jams on the
to the catwalk.” cost $50,000. six years as the residential archi- “That is compensation for this
Then it was that Witchard marvelous roads of the future”. work. Let me repeat again, it is a
This work is performed by the devoted his attention to the task of In his spare time Witchard “I planned everything from an tect for a utilities company in
workmen during the night when making the miniature automo- worked on the problem. The diffi- air conditioning unit for the whole Cleveland, Ohio. pleasure to realize that you are
the exhibit is closed to the public, biles more along the roads. When culty was increased because the building to a sign on the roof for He has also designed hotels, creating and not destroying in you
daily work.”