Museum of craftsmanship miniature first Capitol

In honor of Tallahassee’s bicentennial, museum artist Conrad Brayman has created a detailed model of the 1824 Tallahassee Capitol.

Brayman’s 1824 Capitol model will be moved from the library’s main branch to the Lake Jackson branch from July 31 through August 30.

Museum model reflects 200-year-old Capitol

Every Tallahassee resident knows the feeling you get as you drive west along the Apalachee Parkway, cresting the hill and witnessing the glory of the old Capitol building’s gleaming red and white awnings against the sparkling blue sky.

Down on the lush lawn, it’s not uncommon to see activists holding press conferences, politicians giving speeches, or protesters exercising their civil right to peacefully express their opinions.

Today, the Capitol serves as a place for lawmakers and lobbyists to practice the democratic process as they work to build what is best for Florida’s communities. However, this was not always the case. Two hundred years ago, five years after the United States acquired Florida as a territory and 21 years before Florida became the 27th state, Tallahassee was declared the capital of the state of Florida.

This was done largely because it was the midpoint between Florida’s then largest cities, St. Augustine and Pensacola. Tallahassee rose to the challenge and Florida’s first statehouse, a modest log cabin where legislators and leaders could gather to discuss the birth of our state, was built.

Although the location has been determined to be just south of the current Capitol, no concrete evidence has been found to describe its dimensions. Fortunately, librarians and curators at the Museum of Florida History are relentless in their efforts to uncover historical truths. Through diligent research, the curatorial staff has made educated claims, based on typical structures of the time and place, about what the Capitol was originally designed to be. This is where museum artist and model maker Conrad Brayman comes into the picture.

As a child, Brayman was inspired by the natural world around him to draw and paint birds, fish, landscapes, and underwater scenes. Model making was also a frequent artistic outlet for Brayman. He credits his mother with teaching him the skills he needed as a teenager: the ability to build models and play ball.

“My mother taught me on a model kit of the battleship USS Missouri,” Brayman says. “She was meticulous and methodical as a teacher…I learned how to hit a baseball from her.” Throughout his life, he built many military and hot rod models, always focusing on accuracy, patience and a steady hand. Brayman began his work on historical models by restoring existing pieces.

He worked with two models for the Bureau of Archaeological Research and got a feel for the process. Those dioramas are currently on display at the Governor Martin House in Tallahassee. After moving from South Florida to Tallahassee with his wife, Brayman went to work in the design and fabrication department of the Museum of Florida History.

As a craftsman he built and created various pieces for various exhibitions, ranging from important display cases to housing artefacts and recreating a life-size bait shop for an angling exhibition.

The 1824 Capitol is Brayman’s second historical model that he’s made from scratch. His first was a pre-Columbian Lake Jackson diorama. “All of my experience and knowledge (of dioramas) comes from my 10 years as a craftsman at the Museum of Florida History,” Brayman says. “We have some really spectacular examples of the art (form).”

The art is in the details

The complex relationship between art and history reveals mysteries of our past and in some, as it did for Brayman, arouses a passion to explore them.

As he dug through the archives, he realized how much an artistic interpretation of a historical event can provide context that you might otherwise only read about. Yes, Brayman was drawn to this project by his appreciation for history, but he was even more drawn by the simple question: “How do I make it?”

Brayman recalls his excitement as he tried to figure out how to make the 1824 replica: “The problem-solving, the trying out, and ultimately the implementation — that’s the fun of it. It’s a great way to exercise my creativity and find interesting ways to use materials in new ways.”

After researching the design and methodology, Brayman scoured the museum’s studio store for materials. He opted not to purchase ready-made miniatures and instead found creative ways to make the pieces they needed.

For example, the leather seats in the model are made from a coffee filter and wood glue; the letter tray is made from the husk of a magnolia flower and the grass is made from pig hair.

Clay was also used to create more intricate pieces, such as the spittoon and figurines. Combining materials such as drywall compound, plaster, paint, and sand was sometimes necessary to achieve authentic-looking chinking on the floor and flooring.

Next came the logs. Using a drawknife, Brayman sliced ​​and burned the wood to accentuate the grain, splits, and rings. Using the same technique as when building a real log cabin, he stacked logs on top of each other to accommodate door and window frames and the custom coral gravel fireplace. He then spread out the chinking he had created to fill in the gaps between the logs and fasten the pieces together.

The roof was made of cypress blocks that Brayman shaped and cut by hand from cypress blocks. After installation, he added a touch of color with a mixture of vinegar and steel wool. The details around the cabin added a layer of authenticity, such as the surrounding dirt floor filled with household items.

To complete the installation, Brayman secured the cabin to a platform, trimmed it and encased it. “It was just that simple,” Brayman said.

Bringing history to life

The LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library and the Museum of Florida History have teamed up to celebrate Tallahassee’s bicentennial with a combination of history and art.

Brayman’s 1824 Capitol Model will be moved from the library’s main branch to the Lake Jackson Branch Library for display in all its glory, July 31 through August 30. Brayman is grateful to the museum’s curators for their research into Tallahassee’s history in conjunction with the bicentennial celebration.

Brayman is confident his model will provide people with a tangible way to see what things looked like 200 years ago.

“People have different learning styles and this (model) offers a different way to explore the past rather than just reading a description of what things looked like back then,” Brayman said. He believes this art exhibit will bring history to life and generate excitement about our city’s origins.

Brayman honors the museum for its contribution to Tallahassee’s Bicentennial celebrations and hopes its contribution will be a reminder of our past for generations to come. “Maybe this cabin will still be here when Tallahassee celebrates its tricentennial,” Brayman said.

If you go

What: A view of the Florida Capitol from 1824

When: July 31st to August 30th

Where: Lake Jackson Library, 3840 N Monroe St.

Cost: Free

Contact: 850-606-2665 | [email protected]

Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA). COCA is the capital city’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Conrad Brayman Brings History to Life with Miniature Log Cabin