Temple Tuesday: Shirley Visits The Holy Land

On April 14, 1937, Shirley Temple went to the opening of the Holy Land exhibit as the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium. From the blurb accompanying the photo above:

Shirley Temple Opens Miniature Jerusalem

A miniature exhibition of the Holy City of Jerusalem, created by the Maltese miniature sculptors Salvatore and Joseph Gauci, was opened in Los Angeles by Shirley Temple. The creation of the model city took eleven years; more than 2,000 tiny figures comprised the model. Our picture shows Shirley Temple at the model of Jerusalem.

Below is a vintage image of the Shrine Auditorium, from the 1950s:



Previously, the touring exhibit was in El Paso. From the El Paso Times, April 5, 1937:

10,000 See Exhibit Here; Holy Land Spectacle is Visited by 1000 on Final Day.

More than 1000 El Pasoans filed past the Holy Land in miniature, as displayed at the Elks Building, 126 North Campbell Street, at the final showing Sunday. Attendance for the two weeks’ showing of the spectacle, totaled more than 16,000, officials said Sunday, including free admissions given underprivileged persons. The miniature reproduction, example of 11 years of creative study by the Gauci brothers, Salvatore and Joseph, will be packed away Monday for shipment to Los Angeles, where an indefinite showing will be sponsored by the Los Angeles Examiner in Los Angeles near-by Hollywood. The Holy Land will go on display in the Shrine Auditorium at Los Angeles April 14, Salvatore Gauci said.

Just what exactly did this display consist of? Here’s an edited description from the official program:



The Gauci Brothers were born on the Island of Malta. Probably behind the effort of training which the Gauci Brothers must have had, is that their Father was a contractor in anything of carpentry work, their Grandfather was a carpenter ornamental designer, their Mother’s father well known for his famous idea in architectural designs and a carpenter, in fact most of their relatives are engaged in same trade. Most of us from earliest childhood have thrilled with the little biblical stories our Mothers have told us, this may be rightly called the first aid which it helped the Gauci Brothers to do their fine creation, one might think the ambition to complete such a piece of work belonged to the later years of life when an infinite patience had been acquired through passing years, however they began to make the Model as a hobby with no thought of taking it away from their shop for exhibition. A newspaper reporter heard of it, came and saw it and wrote a full page of a feature story which was syndicated in sixteen leading newspaper in United States and Canada.



As more and more suggestions were made finally the brothers decided to put it on exhibition. Starting 4th of July 1925 in Edmonton Alberta Canada, and after followed the largest Canadian Cities. Then it was on the part of Mr. Al Butler, our present Manager, who we met on the road and He also thought it would be a great treat to the American Public to see our reproduction of the Holy Land, and through him came to the United States in 1926 and the Model was a sensational feature of the International Eucharistic Congress in Chicago, Illinois.

Below is another image of Shirley examining the model. Imagine the joy of a little child seeing the miniature model and all its moving parts!



A closeup of Shirley, playing with the windmill:



I noticed the badge and pin on her coat:



How they looked when they came up for auction from Shirley’s personal collection:



The catalog description:

#180 Two Tiny Police Badges Presented to Shirley, from Original Archives Live Auction, $5,000 Sold

Description Each about 3/4" shield-shaped and brilliantly gold-plated, including one that is labeled "Captain Santa Monica Police", with chain-attached pearl-accented letter "S", marked 10 Kt.; and another marked "Detective Los Angeles Police" with her initials "S.T., which is embedded with a small diamond and inscribed on the reverse "Tom Young, Chief Police, 2-1-37". 1930s. Ex-private collection of Shirley Temple.

I could find very little about the Los Angeles leg of the tour other than this brief mention in The Newhall Signal and Saugus Enterprise, Saugus, California, Thursday May 13, 1937:

Mrs. F. S. Wood and Mrs. Eva Davis viewed the miniature “Holy Land” at the Shrine Auditorium, while in Los Angeles last Thursday. They pronounce it a most wonderful and awe-inspiring spectacle.

If Mrs. F.S. Wood and Mrs. Eva Davis thought it was good, it MUST have been! After Los Angeles, Long Beach was the next city that the model was put on display. From the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Sunday June 13, 1937:

From the manger to the cross and the Resurrection, the life of Jesus is strikingly conveyed in 124 interesting episodes. The creation is that of two brothers—Joseph and Salvatore Gauci—sculptors and craftsmen, who spent years of exhaustive study in the land where Christ lived and died. Eleven years of actual labor was needed to construct the various scenes that make up this unique exhibit. Holy Land is not a painting or a motion picture, but an actual reproduction in miniature, showing every feature of this Biblical terrain and the cities, buildings, farms, rivers and contains of the sacred ground. It is peopled with tiny figures, about three inches tall, 740 of which go through cycles of lifelike movements, controlled by an intricate and complicated arrangement of motors, wheels, pulleys and wires. Another 1200 of the figures are stationary. In 124 fascinating scenes the figures re-enact episodes from the life of Christ and the history of his time. The figures were all carved by hand, by the Gauci brothers, as much as two months being devoted to the preparation of each one. They are dressed in the garb of the time and colorings have been carefully watched, so no detail of accuracy might be omitted. In Nazareth is shown the ancient Fountain of the Virgin, where, according to the Bible, Mary journeyed daily for water. Water trickles realistically from a rock within the spring inclosure. The infant Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lies in a manger, over which the Virgin Mother bends in one of the many scenes. Other episodes present in true sequence the life of Christ. Around the exhibit will be built a large platform, affording a view of this magnificent exhibit. Several lecturers will describe the various scenes in each episode. Because of its educational nature the exhibit has the endorsement of clergymen of all faiths.

From the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Thursday June 17, 1937:

Preparations are under way for the opening on Tuesday June 22, of the Holy Land exhibit in the Masonic Temple, 835 Locust Avenue. The huge outlay of parts belonging to the display arrived yesterday and are now being put into order by the Gauci Brothers, who conceived and manufactured the dislay. It will be on exhibition for a limited time. Thousands swarmed to the exhibit during its recent run in Los Angeles. Crowded from its opening to the final moment, hundreds who fought their way to the entrance failed to gain admission this colossal reproduction of 1000 years of Biblical history. Five insurance comanies, each carrying a total of $75,000, protect the Holy Land exhibit against damage of sorts, although the brothers Gauci, Salvatore and Joseph, declare this amount would not begin to replace their loss, should the motivated reproduction be destroyed.…With eight-seven major sections and more than 17,000 individual pieces to assemble, to say nothing of the thousands of tiny figures of men, women, children and animals, the workmen were faced with the stupendous task of setting up the exhibit and synchronizing the moving parts. With their corps of assistants the Gauci Brothers are working day and night so that Long Beach residents and others from near-by communities may have the opportunity of viewing this reproduction of Palestine as it existed in Christ’s time.

Another image of Shirley:



Apparently, there were no “do not touch” instructions for Ms. Temple!



Long Beach Press-Telegram, Monday June 18, 1937

A Holy Land exhibit, started as a hobby by two boys, Salvatore and Joseph Gauci, will open at the Masonic Temple, 835 Locust Avenue, at 11 A.M. June 22. It had its beginning at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was built with no thought that it might ever be exhibited publicly. Friends of the Gauci brothers prevailed on them to exhibit the miniature, which has now been viewed by millions of persons. Eleven years of intensive work was required for the building, everything having been handcarved. Some of the trees bear 1500 leaves each and each leaf was carved separately. Two million pieces of cork were cut and fitted into the representation of stone walls.

The Long Beach Sun, Monday June 21, 1937

Joseph and Salvatore Gauci spent eleven years creating the exhibit which has been called a mechanical marvel. Seven hundred and forty animated figures take part in the miniature reproduction of the life of Jesus. Joseph Gauci, older of the brothers, who built the Holy Land reproduction, will explain each scene in the thirty-three years of the Messiah’s life. An amplifying system will broadcast his talk over the hall. His brother, Salvatore Gauci will explain how the exhibit was evolved and answer technical questions.

The above description finally explained the shot below, where Shirley and her mother are sitting in the audience. Apparently there was an actual presentation. This whole thing must have been spectacular!



A few vintage photo postcards showing various views of the model that Shirley perused:











 More info about the model from Long Beach Press-Telegram, Monday June 23, 1937:

The exhibit which is open every day from 11 A.M. to 4:30 and from 7 P.M. to 10:30, is being presented under the auspices of the Press-Telegram and Morning Sun, and a portion of the gate receipts will be turned over to the annual Christmas Cheer Fund.…Featuring the dislay is a forty-give minute lecture by Joseph Gauci in which he explains each situaton. The exhibit contains 60,000,000 pieces, including 740 moving and 1200 stationary figures. Thirteen miles of piano wire were used to mainpulate the figures and scenes which occupy a space of eighteen by twenty-four feet. Adding to the interest of the presentation are programs by which Bible students may identify cities and places represented. One of the unusual features of the display is the lighting effects, which enable the lecturer to flash on lights in various portions nof the exhibit as he disucsses them in his lecture.…A small admission charge of 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for children is charged.

This image from the program gives a good idea of what the set-up looked like:



In the Long Beach Morning Sun article from Monday July 12, 1937 we learn that San Francisco was the next city on the tour:

More than 4000 people of Long Beach and vicinity have viewed the Holy Land exhibit of the Gauci Brothers, on display for the past few weeks at the Masonic Temple, 835 Locust Avenue. Last night, which marked the final showing of the unique panoramic model, drew the largest crowd recorded, according to Salvatore and Joseph Gauci, originators and exhibitors of the model. From here the exhibit will be packed and shipped to San Francisco, where it will be displayed in the Municipal Auditorium under the auspices of a San Francisco newspaper. Long Beach ministers, teachers and laymen who viewed the display were unhesitating in their priase of it. It depicted the entire country of Palestine as it was in Christ’s time with amazing accuracy. Eleven years were required to build the intricate, animated model.

What happened to the model? From the Materializing the Bible website comes this sad information:

The brothers dedicated 47 years of their lives to this model, 37 of which were spent traveling. Later reports stated that the brothers never settled down to have families, at least while they owned the model, and instead called home “wherever the model is.” In 1961, retired veterinarian and Atlanta resident Dr. Paul Wallace purchased the model from the Gauci brothers reportedly for $18,000. In some reports, it lists Wallace’s brother (unnamed) as a co-owner, and in others, it lists a Reverend Harold Bramblett as a co-owner along with Wallace. Coincidentally, Bramblett used to work as a sign painter, just as Joseph Gauci did. After Wallace purchased the model, it made a few tour stops before Wallace declared he wanted it to have a permanent home in Santa Claus, Indiana. However, before this could happen, the model was destroyed by a fire in May of 1962. Wallace had owned the miniature for less than a year when this happened. The model, valued at over $1,000,000 at that point, was reportedly insured for $100,000, while a later report states that it was insured for $125,000. As he testified for his insurance claim, a headline from the Indiana Herald reads that he wept on the witness stand as he spoke. Many reports say that Wallace loved the model and marveled at the craftsmanship, and his weeping seems to be a testament to this, but his true feelings about the model and how much he valued it will never be known. After the model was sold to Wallace, there are no more records that can be found about the Gauci brothers, whether or not they started families, or whether they knew what happened to their lives’ work.

Nothing lasts forever, folks. See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.