Some more info on the old Dobbin House diorama at Gettysburg

A vintage photograph of the Gettysburg Battlefield Diorama in the old Dobbin House on Steinwehr Avenue in Gettysburg.

Background post: The long gone Dobbin House diorama at Gettysburg

A Charge! reader sent me some interesting information on the Gettysburg Diorama that used to be located in the historic Dobbin House in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The diorama was constructed by a York, PA, man, Curvin Heiss and his son. Heiss hard carved the molds and then cast the figures. He and his son Curvin Jr. then hand painted the 54mm Civil War figures.

At 50 cents admission for an adult, the Dobbin House diorama was reasonably priced for the era. Constructed in the 1950s, Heiss sold the building, museum, and diorama in the late 1960s. The diorama was dismantled and moved in 1977.

Here is an article about the diorama from a Baltimore newspaper during the attraction’s heyday.

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And, here is a compilation of material on the old Dobbin House, which includes a grainy old photo of Heiss and his son standing over what appears to be Big and Little Round Tops.

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And finally, here is the memorial tribute to Curvin Heiss, Sr., whose vision, patience, and creative skill made this diorama a wonderful memory for thousands of visitors to Gettysburg during the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations – the ”golden age” of the budding American tourism industry.

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Three of Curvin Heiss’s creations… may somewhere his little men still be providing enjoyment for someone!