Monterey 2011
The 2011 West Coast Collectors Meeting was held on October 8, again in scenic Monterey, CA. With the Maritime Museum closed for renovations, collectors met at the Portola Hotel and Spa where many stayed at reduced rates. This was the climax of several days of activities that made Columbus Day weekend a memorable one for all who attended.
Photos courtesy of Harald Scheel, Ulrich Rudofsky and John Olsen
The scenic Fish Pier at Monterey.
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October 6
Collectors began gathering at Harald Scheel's home in Fremont for a peek at his top-notch Navy Room, complete with plans of the continuing battle his naval wargaming club is waging. All then headed over to view the naval dioramas and models of Fremont's other collector, Tom Vargas. The day ended with an Italian dinner at Fremont's Il Porcino Restaurant.
In front of Harald's home in Fremont: (L-R) Peter Van Staalduinen, Bob Wiringa, Atsuko Higasaguchi, Teruo
Higasaguchi, Rob Tas, Tom Vargas, Peter Chuldziak, Ulla Chuldziak, Hjalmar Heinen, Johanna Scheel, John
Olsen and Harald Scheel.
Approaching Harald's Navy Room The Wargame Command Center.
Harald's Navy Room Great White Fleet wall display (added later).
Harald's battle line.
A corner of Tom's Navy Room. Tom's D-Day diorama.
Part of Tom's extensive collection. Adjusting the light for a better look.
At Il Porcino (L-R): Peter van Staalduinen, Hjalmar Heinen, Harald & Johanna Scheel, Peter & Ulla Chuldziak,
Teruo Higasaguchi, John Olsen, Judy & Tom Vargas, Rob Tas
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October 7
Setting up began at the Portola in the afternoon and the day concluded with the welcome dinner at Isabella's Restaurant on the Monterey waterfront.
Portola Hotel and Spa, Monterey
Harald Scheel and Paul Jacobs confer. MSM arrives!
Tom Vargas sets up his dioramas. Peter Chuldziak arranges the Tsushima battle line.
Cocktail hour before dinner. The dinner crowd gathers.
Waiting for the first course. Dessert time!
A few words from Paul. The end.
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October 8
It's 10AM in the Cottonwood Room and the meeting is under way. Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and go, but not before the annual SMSC meeting. Later, a reunion dinner at Santa Lucia's for all who enjoyed Harald's Kassel Meeting tour of Germany and the Netherlands earlier in the year.
Bob Wiringa, Peter Ewell and John Youngerman study Harald Scheel's Tsushima materials and second-hand
models.
Pat Hathaway's popular naval photo table. Peter Van Stalduinen, Rob Tas, Kevin Stewart and
John Youngerman.
Kevin Stewart commissioning a Youngerman model. Teruo Higasaguchi sees his first Heinrich model, courtesy of
Rick Rudofsky.
MSM's Bill & Mary Werner make another sale to Tom Vargas. The NORCAL contingent: Harold and Don Andrews, Phil
Woodruff and Les Kawamoto.
NORCAL's Battleship Row. Sinking the Oklahoma one more time.
Tom Vargas with his recognition models. A non-collector (Johanna Scheel) admires Tom's dioramas.
Tom's harbor diorama. Tom's ASBD setup.
Rick Rudofsky never misses a meeting. Paul Jacobs at the SMY table.
Teruo Higasaguchi and Robert Liu. John Olsen
John Olsen's "Pagodas in 1250 Scale" display of Japanese John's Yamashiro of 1928, modified from the Navis Fuso.
battleships of the 1920's.
Tom Vargas at Chris Daley's table. John Youngerman and his well-stocked model cases.
Harald Scheel's Tsushima battle line attracted lots of attention.
Peter Chuldziak and Hjalmar Heinen at Harald's table. The next generation.
David Haynes studies Tsushima. Bob Wiringa (R) with noted Monterey photographer Pat Hathaway(L).
We should do this again sometime! SMSC Treasurer John Olsen conducts the Annual Meeting.
The Reunion Dinner at Santa Lucia's. The end of a good day.
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October 9
Once again, Paul and Renee Jacobs hosted an open house at their home in Saratoga, this time with a barbecue enjoyed by all.
Teruo Higasaguchi in Paul's enclosed model porch. Peter Van Stalduinen and Paul Jacobs: "Is it this small or
this big?"
Dave Shadell and Paul Jacobs. John Olsen and Teruo in the basement.
Faraway places. Paul's fitting out basin.
Nancy and Kevin Stewart with Judy Vargas. Renee Jacobs and Atsuko Higasaguchi.
The garden railroad. Everyone at the table.
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and from our Japanese friends . . .
Joining us for the first time from Japan were Atsuko (left) and Teruo Higasaguchi, who made this meeting an extra special one. Teruo's interest is in the transitional steam/iron fleets of the 19th century, particularly the Japanese. Besides collecting, he is a talented scratch builder and has made his own models of all of the ships in the early Meiji fleet. He has also assisted H&B producer Juergen Streich in the research that has led to his latest model, the auxiliary cruiser Shinano Maru. Teruo also made several souvenir fans for our meeting, which some of you may have noticed:
Commodore Perry's USS Susquehanna Yamato and Musashi
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