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My Buddy Lewis Pruneau Part 03

bob letterman

Master at Arms
Staff member
I've known Lewis now for 38 years. Together we've travelled to most states back in the competition days, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Omaha, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Miami, and many more. To Europe together twice, once when we competed in what was then the largest model competition in the world, the Model Engineers Exhibition in Wembley, England, just outside London. We've flown, rode trains, ships, hovercraft, driven cars and vans, skylifts, walked through London, Paris, Omaha and Utah Beaches, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Berchtesgaden, The Eagles Nest, Salzburg, Vienna, and all parts between. Models and dioramas have changed our entire lives. We've written model books together, built dioramas together, not to mention spent a lot of time in nightclubs all over the world, The Hofbrauhaus in Munich stands out clearly in my mind. 1985. Boy, does that night stand out! :)

This visit was in Lewis' home town, a tourist attraction, the oldest town west of the Mississippi, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. 1998. Left tp right, Wes Bradley, Warlock, my doberman, Me, Kay Bradley, Wes' wife, Bennie, a Belgian employee of VLS, Lewis and Cagney, Susan's Yorkie.



Lewis:Wes:Bob:dogs.jpg


This was on a trip in 1988. We stayed in the Marriott Marquis on Times Square. Wes Bradley and Don Wardlow and others went on that one!

Times Square copy.jpeg


Wes and Lewis in one of the production rooms. 1987.

Wes:Lewis copy.jpg


This was a diorama Lewis made for an Argentine collector. It was similar to one made by the Belgian modeler, Marijn Van Gils. Collectors would give Lewis their specifications and he would build them. Over the years, Lewis supported himself well doing commissions.

Cathedral 02.JPG



This is one I bought. The motorcycle is 120mm and from scratch. It has a place of honor in my museum!

.
Lewis BMW cycle.jpg


This was an incredible diorama he made of Ste. Genevieve in the 18th century, commissioned by the State of Missouri and in the St. Genevieve Museum.

Lewis St Genivieve diorama.jpeg


This is a photograph of my daughter Gail standing against the real stockade fence 200 years later. Those pickets look 200 years old!

Gail Favorite copy.jpg




Another 1/35th scale commission piece for the Argentine collector, Marines disembarking in the pacific! When Lewis builds, he doesn't let size bother him!

Marine debarkibg diorama.jpg



Here is his Remagen Bridge. On a trip to Europe in 1986, we went to Remagen and took photographs he later used. He did this in three scales to create the perspective. 1/35th, 1/48th and 1/72nd.

Lewis' Remagen Bridge.JPG


One of my favorites of Lewis. Pearl Harbor. This is a gigantic diorama 12 feet in length. It is in the Ralph Koebbeman collection in Rockford Illinois.
Pearl Harbor 01.jpg


Pearl Harbor 02.jpg


The Cassien and the Downes Destroyers.

Pearl Harbor 04.jpg


That's it for now. Much more to come on Part four.
 
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Lewis remembers you Ian. I'll pass on your words.
Thanks Bob, give him a big hello from me and let him know I have been studying the pictures of his U505 in the old VLS special
again, working out my approach for my own version in 1/72.
I hope he feels better soon.
:(
 
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