Join us at our Innovation in Miniature exhibition opening on Friday, October 3 from 5-7 p.m. The event will include refreshments and a Q&A with Hagley conservator Laura Wahl, who curated the exhibit, at 5:30 p.m. Innovation in Miniature will be on display in the Hagley Library building through March 31, 2026.
Step into a world where big ideas come in small packages. Hagley Library’s miniature model exhibit brings together three fascinating fields — interior design, miniatures, and conservation — and invites you to explore how they connect in surprising ways.
Innovation in Miniature highlights the career of interior designer William Pahlmann, who used these tiny models to bring his bold ideas to life. Pahlmann is an icon of midcentury design, running a renowned design firm in New York City from the 1940s-1970s. Among his client list, you can find names such as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Pauline Trigére, Babe Paley, and many others from the East Coast crème de la crème. As part of the American Institute of Decorators (AID), now known as the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Pahlmann worked to expand and promote the interior design profession, paving the way for our modern design culture.
In this exhibition, you’ll also discover the artistry of Eugene “E.J.” Kupjack, a master miniaturist whose creations link directly to American advertising and invention. Operating out of Chicago, Kupjack worked with collectors and designers alike to build scale models of real and imagined spaces. Approximately 100 of his models are still known to exist, many of which are on display in American art museums. Come and learn how miniatures in America went beyond doll houses and model trains and contributed to fields such as architecture and interior design.
Finally, see how Hagley’s expert conservation team worked behind the scenes to preserve these delicate treasures for future generations. From asbestos remediation to rewiring the lighting, staff worked to revive the Pahlmann -Kupjack miniatures for the past five years. Their hard work paid off, and all three models will be on display!
Join us at our Innovation in Miniature exhibition opening on Friday, October 3 from 5-7 p.m. The event will include refreshments and a Q&A with Hagley conservator Laura Wahl, who curated the exhibit, at 5:30 p.m.
Innovation in Miniature will be on display in the Hagley Library building through March 31, 2026.