Odds 'n' Ends: Opéra de Paris

Here is where I take the opportunity to show off some of the toys and paper models I have collected, that are only tangentially related to tabletop theater.

Along with L 'Instant Durable's Métro de Paris, I picked up the card model of the Opéra de Paris in a gift shop back in the summer of 2004. I admit that my main reason for getting the model is because of the role the Palais Garnier plays in Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera.

The above picture of the uncut postcard (approx. 4 1/4" x 6 1/2") comes from Moduni. Below is a photo of my completed model.

The postcard is printed on a heavy card stock that makes it a little difficult to cut out the fine details like the golden statues at the front of the building. That said, my biggest challenge had to be three domes. The two smaller domes got the best of me and I was never able to get them shaped correctly and you can see in the picture that they look more like spiky crowns than actual domes.

As I mentioned in last month's post for the Métro, there are several designers for L 'Instant Durable's models, but I cannot find a designer to credit for the postcard.

Below is a photo of the actual Opéra de Paris. I hope that it will give you an idea of how well designed the model is even working at what might be 1/1000 scale.