Ola Guys and Gals

I'm currently working on a Bonnie and Clyde diorama. The idea is that they come storming from a bank running towards their car and spilling bills in their flight.
Now I have no clue about the US currency. I know how a 1 Dollar bill looks but I have no clue what changes it underwent through the years. Factually I'm looking for bills as used in the 1930's. Can be any denotation.
I looked on Google but I get so many different examples that I'm unsure what to use. Also I would love to know what the sizes of those bills are.

I know it is a bit anal as it is such a small detail and most people will probably not even notice it or tell the difference. But I like to be as accurate as I can. So hopefully there is anybody around who can help me get some insight.

Thanks in advance

With friendly greetz

Robert

Excepting recently, I don't believe that US paper currency has changed in the last hundred years. The change was to add some colors, other than green, to the note. Do a simple Google search and you will see what I mean.

Robert,

Here's a good example of the $1 from that time:

$1 dollar

Other than denomination and portrait, they're pretty much the same.

Another link with denominations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Note#Series_1928.E2.80.931995

Size: SIZE: US currency bills are are 2.61 inches wide and 6.14 inches long; they are .0043 inches thick and weigh 1 gram.

Might find this useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_one_hundred-dollar_bill

In essence, all the bills were formated the same then. Just different dollar amounts and Presidential portraits (small portrait only for that time period). Based on scale, you'll not be able to see much of the detail...just color and amount (maybe) and portrait.

Mike

There's a lot of Bonnie and Clyde history in my area. Our library featured the latest book about them, with a visit by the author last year. The old bank in our town (Britton Bank) is rumored to be the only bank in the area notrobbed by them. According to a historian at our museum, they were said to like the ice cream at a store near there, and didn't want to be unwelcome. The bank itself went bust when a local farmer became angry at not having a loan approved, so he withdrew all of his money . He was their largest account.

Ola guys

This is what I love from this site. There is always anybody who knows an answer or a link to a site

@ Matt thanks for your answer. As I said in my post I did a google search but it did not deliver me with any clear answers. For anybody who is used to these bills it may all be plain and simple but for those who don't it simply isn't

@ Mike
Thanks a lot for those links. I had a good read and have a pretty good idea of the background of the bills. Now it is time to make me some money

That last sentence probably has the financial watchdogs of America woken up to place me on the watchlist

@ Robert
That is really interesting. My main research comes from the internet where some robberies are mentioned but not really in depth. Usually along the lines: In this year, this month, this county, 4 robberies etc. I have been looking at pictures of banks pressumably from that era. But there is quite a difference among those as well. What would be a typical bank they robbed in that area. I guess they would have avoided the big cities during their 4 year spree.
I imagine such a bank a bit like the one George Babyface Nelson robs in the movie "Oh Brother where art thou". But then again that is Hollywood. Who often are kinda loose on the reality.

Any pointers there would be very helpfull. I'm mostly looking for the buildings facade as that will be the only part of the Bank I make. No interiors and such.

With friendly greetz

Robert

I'm sure there's a copy of the book at the library. I can see if any of the banks in the area are still standing. The Britton Bank's facade still exists. At one time I thought I'd like to buy it for my bike shop but it's too far gone. The dude next door to it is using it to store junk, and it has no roof.

Ola Robert
That would be pretty cool. I would love to have some examples. Just to get an idea of architecture. Materials used and such. Really my complete image of America comes from TV (Documentaries and movies) and what I manage to find on the internet. But without any knowledge of background information it is really hard to know if what you are doing is right.

One thing I kinda notice from Movies and such is that banks somehow are always located at a streetcorner. But that could very well be Hollywood again. Just as any cafe looks exactly the same from the kitchen to the coffee cups.

And with bike shop you mean Motorcycle or Bicycle? Just out of curiosity.

Here's a photo of the bank today. It's pretty typical of small town banks from back then. It's about four or five miles from my house. Not only is it not a corner, it stood alone on the side of the road. The house next to it was built years later.

Oh, and it's a motorcycle shop. I posted some photos on a thread in the General forum, I think. Still looking by the way.

Matt - They've added a "security strip", I believe to everything but the $1. You can see it by holding a bill up to a light, which is why you sometimes see cashiers doing this. About 1/8" vertical, with "USA" printed repeatedly. You can't see it on the printed surface. I believe I've heard that the US $100 is the most counterfeited bill in the world.

Robert - Even in the small towns they would hit, banks would be built of stone, or perhaps brick. Usually classic architecture, perhaps some columns or pilasters - they want to project an image of strength and security. Where are banks in the Netherlands located? Corners provide visibility among other things - the busiest, most important corners "downtown" were the primary choice. Instead of Google Images, maybe try Historical Society sites for the towns they were actually operating in. There are possibly B&C sites with lists? I used to like Google, but it's getting harder and harder to get non-commercial results for anything.

Charles

@ Robert
I like that building. Architecture wise it is a very interesting structure. What also struck me is that it is a relatively small building. Can't see how deep it is towards the back but the front seems to be about 8 to 10 meters wide. Pitty Bonnie and Clyde did not rob it

@ Charles
That is good information. You are right banks always look like small temples. In Holland banks can be found pretty much everywhere. Not specifically on corners. This you see specifically a lot in the cities. It is just a matter of available real estate. Most cities in Holland are centuries old and a bank could not always get hold of a streetcorner so they had to make due with another location. Anyone lucky enough to own a streetcorner building would hold on to it for dear live.

Hi Robert

Do you already know what car you will build for this diorama ?
A 1934 Ford V8 Deluxe like the one they used for their last ride (I've read that Clyde Barrow was a Ford V8 fan) ?

Here's another Ford option, a 1932 B400 convertible sedan :



...Providing you can find a suitable kit !

H.P.

@ Frenchy
Yes I already decided what car I'm going to built. In fact. It is already halfway through construction. I'm building the Ford V8 Deluxe that became eventually known as the Bonnie and Clyde Death car
Basically it is a Vacuform Gaz M1 which is nothing more then a license built Ford Fordor sedan. So I started looking around if that car was used by gangsters. And that is how I came about the most well known Ford V8 Deluxe sedan. What I did not know at the time was that the leafsprings of the Ford were interleaved as opposed to the leafsprings on a Gaz that have two along the chassis beams. And I found out after a few evenings of scratchbuilding. Not going to change that. Also the Ford had Spoked wheels as opposed to the pressed steel rims the Russians used. That are about the only 2 big ommissions I make with this car. I even intend to scratchbuild the additional booth To make it more accurate.

This is a pic of the car a few stages back.

But, was the bank perhaps on a main corner when the city was founded / settled centuries ago? Since our cities are more recent, banks got to pick their corner as one of the first businesses in town - although, I'm sure the first structure was far from temple-like ;-)

I would guess that you're in Amsterdam, but the most Noord that I've been is the Alkmaar kaas veiling on a cycling tour with a GF.

Charles

Not very likely. The first official bank in the Netherlands opened it's doors in 1609 in Amsterdam. By then the city was already around 300 years old. With Amsterdam being at the golden age at that point with trading, the bank should already be happy if they could get a shed somewhere along the docks. And that same thing goes for every city medium sized up to the big cities in the Netherlands. The first businesses that got a pick of real estate were usually traders/businessmen/shipping companies and of course they choose the nicest places for the headquarters and warehouses. In a lot of the historic cities you can still see the layout and what was what. For instance if you have visited Amsterdam you will have noticed all the tall buildings with the beautifull fronts and the specially crafted tops among the canals. Nowadays these are in the hands of big international companies, lawyerfirms and the rich. Back then they would be filled with anything for the trade and rats. Since they were nothing more then warehouses

And allthough I would love to I have never lived in Amsterdam. I love that city. No I have lived most of my life close to the Dutch Coast North of Alkmaar and for the last 3,5 years I live in the historic city of Alkmaar itself. Pretty cool you visited the kaasmarkt in Alkmaar. I haven't been there for years.

Maybe some AM wheels would do the trick with some mods, as they're not exactly the same ?






H.P.

Hmmm Those are looking pretty nice... Wish I had known about these before I started on this kit. They would definately be on my buy list. Annoyingly enough I already glued the wheels onto the really fragile suspension and prying them loose will inevitably mean ruining all the hours work I put into the whole chassis. At least that is what I'm afraid of. I have to give this a good thinkover.

Is that the new name of Maquette by the way? It is exactly the same type of drawing style that Maquette always used on their "AM" range

It looks to be so...Here's the webstore page :

http://obchod.valka.cz/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/192/products_id/1081649/product_name/135-55-19-ZiK-1-Soviet-Vehicles-Wheels/language/en?osCsid=e04g6bbae09c2k3cq7lu5ihrsgkb7t1o

H.P.

> Not very likely. The first official bank in the Netherlands opened it's doors in 1609 in Amsterdam.

Just in time to finance the Speedwell.
- to further help your writing, no apostrophe when the "s" is for possessive tense, see below for special situations:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060830154319AAflapX

> By then the city was already around 300 years old.

OK - what was the financial system for those 300 years? Traders and shippers need financing - and insurance. All "back-room" deals?

> if you have visited Amsterdam you will have noticed all the tall buildings with the beautifull fronts and the specially crafted tops among the canals.

What I noticed is how narrow they all were, but then I learned that the tax was based on how long the canal-facade was, so that's why they're so tall. Artitec produces some very nice models of them.

> I haven't been there for years.

That's because you would have to fight your way through thousands of tourists. I had to climb a tree to see anything. My GF passed her camera up so I could take a photo for her.

Instead of agreeing with Alex and Paul, I think I'll just keep adding things, and maybe rank them in June. Starting four months away decreases my sense of reality - whatever little might be left.

I saw someone mention Braille, and I know what it means in modeling, but wonder where that usage came from? Two months ago I tried every way I could think of to phrase the search, but couldn't find anything helpful.

Is it because you will surely go blind working too long in these scales?

@ Frenchy
Yeah that looks pretty much looks like Maquette has been refurbishing it's image. Thanks for the webshop had not yet saved it in my favorites. Still having a good think of what to do.

@ Charles
I'm not too certain on who did the financing and the insurance back then. I guess that was done within the guilds itself. And financing often came from people who gathered wealth any old how.
You probably will have seen a few of the so called leaning houses in Amsterdam. Another nice example of Dutch rulebending. You were not only taxed for the width on the canal side you were taxed for the ground your house stands on. By making a leaning housefront all the floors above will be bigger but it will not cost extra money.

I can't really say where the term Braille comes from but I could venture a guess of an old 1:35 modelbuilder jokingly saying about 1:72 vehicles: "They are so small it is almost braille"

Below is Bridge House, Ambleside, in the Lake District of England. Wiki says, “Bridge House was built over Stock Ghyll more than 300 years ago probably as a summer house and apple store for Ambleside Hall.”

However, when we were there the locals told us it was built by a Scotsman to avoid land taxes.

Houses on bridges were not that uncommon.
here are some shots of what London bridge once used to look like. Apparently these houses had shops underneath and they were built so they could pay the bridge with the revenues of the rent



and a nice drawing of it being demolished in late 1700


No clue where this is


Or this


Quite odd how this topic evolved from a question about Dollar bills to houses on bridges.

It turns out that the Britton Bank's claim that they were one of the only banks in the area not robbed is a dubious one at best. Clyde Barrow liked robbing general store and gas stations more - places where there was no security.
I spent some time yesterday doing some research for you as I have a few days before I leave the country. I ended up reading damn near the whole book I mentioned.
It does list banks that were robbed, most not even in Texas. There was a Jewelry/General store/Optician/Garage (you can't make this stuff up) in Hillsboro, a town about an hour from me that they hit. The local bank here (Grand Prairie State Bank) that was hit was not by Clyde, but by one of his many associates. Another reason they didn't hit banks around here is because they had family on Dallas, and needed a relatively safe place to hole up. At any rate, I got a list of the banks they did hit, and found a very good candidate for you. It is the last bank they it. Clyde and a male accomplice actually did the robbery, locking up the employees in the vault. The ran out into the street where Bonnie waited with the car.
By the way, IMHO you should do the extra work and use those wire spoked wheels. You could also add some axle caps. Even if something did go awry underneath, you'd be hard pressed to see it.

Enough blather. Here's what you've been waiting for. It's even on a corner.






The window probably didn't have this painted on it back then.



It looks easy enough to scratch, nothing too fancy, and it is actually something I would use the textured paint on.

@ Robert
You have no idea how happy you make me with this. This is pretty much the scene I had in mind. Bank at the corner. Car in front of it. It is a nice building as well. I saved them to my HD immediately. And will do some measuring to see how big I'm going to make it.
Is it known who the accomplice was with whom Clyde robs that bank? Just to see what he looks like and even match it with an AM head. And it was to be expected that Bonnie did stay in the car as at that time she was still suffering from heavy third degree burns from a carcrash earlier.

And you are right. I have had a good nights think about it and decided to shell out some extra dosh on those spoked wheels. They simply look better with a ford.

I really want to thank you for your time. It will help the end product on a much higher and more accurate level.

With friendly greetz

Robert Blokker

It was Henry Methvin, seen here in the middle. He seemed tall compared to Clyde and Raymond. (Raymond did not participate in this robbery)