Baranger Studios

Baranger Motion machines or "Baranger Motions" were store-window mechanical animated advertising displays, rented to jewellers, and produced from 1925 to 1959cite web|url=http://www.toymuseum.co.jp/body1-2.en.html|publisher=Hakone Toy Museum|title=Motion Display history|accessdate=2006-09-01] by the Baranger Company of South Pasadena, California USA. The dimensions of one typical "motion" were 21" wide, 12" tall, and 12" deep. [cite web|title=Baranger Motion Display - Honeymoon Express|publisher=Live Auctioneers|url=http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/973383|accessdate=2006-09-02|date=2005-05-27 "Sold for $5000"]

Their appearance was toy-like, cartoonish, or Art Deco, and they featured simple, repetitive motions performed by the doll-like sculptures. No brand names or jeweller's names appeared on the displays; most of them pitched the generic idea of buying diamonds or watches. A typical motion showed technicians working on a "diamond reactor" with dials labelled "fire" and "sparkle," and a plaque noting that "Your diamond will appear much larger in one of our modern mountings." Many depicted couples courting or honeymooning, often in fanciful surroundings such as a Well Fargo stagecoach. Placards often suggested that a diamond could facilitate a favorable courtship outcome: "You will always be on the right road with one of our beautiful diamonds." [cite web|url=http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/973382/baranger-motion-display-wells-fargo-express-wagon|accessdate=2006-09-02|date=2005-05-27|title=31: Baranger Motion Display-Wells Fargo Express Wagon "You will always be on the right road with one of our beautiful diamonds"] One is described by a dealer::1950's USA Baranger CO's RARE Honeymoon Motion Rocket- As seen in Kitahra's Book Yesterdays Toys. This is one of perhaps 6 or 7 Surviving rare Baranger Motion Display Rockets. Moon Rotates as rocket pitches & Yaws up & down. Honeymoon couple turn towards each other & pilots turns head to look at the couple. Amazing Electric Powered action. Probably the 1st or 2nd most coveted of all the baranger displays. Buck Rogers inspired rocket design with beautiful Art Deco period touches. [cite web|url=http://www.ozziesrobots.com/id25.htm|title=Ozzie's Robots Toys and Collectibles|accessdate=2006-09-01]

The displays were designed by Arch E. Baranger, Hazel J. Baranger and Robert Gerlachop. cit.] and manufactured in runs of about 30 each. [cite web|title=Baranger Studios|url=http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=467073|publisher=Google Answers|date=2005-02-01|accessdate=2006-09-01] A total of 167 different designs were produced.cite web|title=Baranger Window Displays in Motion: A New Hardcover Art Book by John Daniel|url=http://www.barangerstudios.com/|accessdate=2006-09-01] The displays were never soldop. cit] but rented to jewellers under a contract in which the displays were rotated monthly, each jeweller returning the old one and receiving a new one to display.op. cit.] cite web|title=Grandfather's Clock|url=http://www.greaterlaregional.com/exhibits/2005exhib/1.html|year=2005|accessdate=2006-09-01|publisher=National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors]

Collectors of these motions prize them highly, and as of 2006 they appear to command mid-four-figure asking prices; one sold in 2005 for $6500 [cite web|url=http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1611910|publisher=Live Auctioneers|title=Baranger Motion Window Display|accessdate=2006-09-01]

The Baranger Studios building itself is well known in South Pasadena, and some cited it as their favorite building in one survey. [cite web|url=http://www.downtownsouthpas.com/DSPSurveyresults.pdf|title=Staying Small: Successfully Visioning Exercise|Publisher=City of South Pasadena, California|date=January, 2006|accessdate=2006-09-01]

About a hundred of the motions are displayed in the Circus Building of the House on the Rock, a tourist attraction in Spring Green, Wisconsin [cite web|title=Attraction|publisher=House on the Rock|accessdate=2006-09-01|url=http://www.thehouseontherock.com/html/attraction.htm] .

Additional reading

*cite book|first=John A. |last=Daniel|publisher=Zon International Pub. Co|id=ISBN 0-939549-26-3|year=2001|title=Baranger: Window displays in motion: dramatizing the jewel (not consulted for this article)

References

External links

Images of Baranger Motions:
* [http://www.wannabuyawatch.com/images/28104.jpgMice repairing a watch]
* [http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/post-2-1098482808.jpgSpace ship and moon]
* [http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/post-2-1103307440.jpgDetailed view of "Honeymoon rocket"]
* [http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/973383 "Honeymoon express"]
* [http://www.greaterlaregional.com/exhibits/2005exhib/1/03.gif"Grandfather's Clock"]
* [http://photos.liveauctioneers.com/houses/noelbarrett/2264/0031_1_lg.jpgWells Fargo stagecoach]
* [http://photos.liveauctioneers.com/houses/pweissauctions/764/0109_1_lg.jpgSawing a woman in half] "He could have won her with one of our beautiful diamonds"