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History in Miniature

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Two dozen of George Stuart’s amazing historical figures are currently on display in the Fred W. Smith Gallery at the Ventura County Museum of History & Art in Ventura.

The museum is located in west Ventura, across the street from the San Buenaventura Mission--a seriously highbrow upgrade from the auto dealerships that used to occupy the site. Changing historical tides are near and dear to the heart of Stuart, the Ojai creator of more than 300 figurines grouped by time periods and themes, such as the Renaissance, the Reformation and American founders and patriots. Stuart is also big on royal families, with numerous examples of the Romanoffs, the Stuarts, the Tudors and the Hanovers.

As a youngster, Stuart became obsessed with the French palace at Versailles and began constructing detailed replicas of its numerous rooms.

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Stuart pursued his love of history at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and later the University of California before becoming a staff member at the Smithsonian Institution. He ended up in Ojai in 1953, where he created his first historical figure.

In explaining his obsession, Stuart once said he has always been interested in theater, even though he wasn’t particularly good at it. “I was always one of those people who could do things with my hands,” he said. The figurines include the smallest details and have elements of official portrait and political cartoon. The figures, constructed through a lengthy process, are one-fourth life scale.

Stuart donated the majority of his collection to the museum in 1979, and the exhibits are rotated every few months. The current display, “The Conquest of the Americas,” will be on view until May 22.

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The figures depict the age of exploration and the conquest of the Americans up to the admission of California to the United States in 1850. The display begins with some of the movers and shakers of the day.

The first figurine is that of Pope Alexander VI, who decreed that territory in the New World would be divided between Portugal and Spain. Queen Isabella of Spain was the sponsor of Columbus’ expedition. Along with her husband, King Ferdinand, they unified Spain, even as they expelled Jews and Moors when the Inquisition began.

Columbus, Cortes and Pizarro were some of the famous front men for the European lust for riches, which created havoc in the New World. Christopher Columbus is represented, along with a few of the locals he first encountered, an Arawak woman and a Carib warrior. The Arawaks, living on an island in the Bahamas, were believed to be the first Native Americans encountered by Columbus. In 20 years, they were all dead.

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The stern-faced figurine of Hernan Cortes, conqueror of Mexico, leaves little doubt that he was nobody’s sweetheart. Cortes led an expedition from Cuba in 1519 that included 11 ships, 508 men, 16 horses and some artillery. His arrival coincided with the Aztec belief in the return of the mythical Plumed Serpent.

The Spaniards were able to communicate with the Aztecs through an Indian woman who had learned Spanish. They called her Marina, but the locals called her Malinche, the traitress. When Cortes met Montezuma II, the Aztec king, he instructed Malinche to “tell him that we love him well and that our hearts are contented.”

In one of history’s more blatant examples of false advertising, by 1521 Cortes had conquered Mexico and Montezuma was dead.

The figurine of Francisco Pizarro, holding a sword, also gives the impression that here, indeed, is a poor house guest. In one of the most amazing military exploits in history, Pizarro and 180 men conquered the Inca Empire in 1533.

After a brief battle, the Spaniards captured the Inca king, Atahualpa, and held him prisoner for several months, waiting for a ransom to be paid. In the meantime, Pizarro played chess with the king. After a few months, Pizarro was paid 24 tons of gold but still had Atahualpa publicly garroted.

The California connection includes Father Junipero Serra, immortalized in a statue in front of Ventura City Hall, and the man who forever changed the native Chumash’s simple coastal life. A member of the Portola expedition in 1769, Serra founded Mission San Diego and eight others, the last of which, Mission San Buenaventura, is across the street from the museum.

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The last few figurines denote trappers, pioneers and explorers important in California history, concluding with “The Pathfinder,” John C. Fremont, and his wife, Jessie Fremont. Shown in military uniform, Fremont is considered one of the worst Union generals of the Civil War. A hardy yellow wildflower, fremontia, is named after “The Pathfinder.”

Butch and Ellen Brown of Ventura visited the exhibit on a recent weekday and were amazed by the workmanship.

“The armor on Cortes, the wrinkles, the eyebrows, the veins--it’s perfect, to the smallest detail,” said Butch Brown. “If I had to make those things, I’d be climbing the walls.”

In addition to being good with his hands, Stuart also is a gifted monologist.

Stuart will share some historical facts and anecdotes when he discusses “The Discovery” March 7 and 10, “The Conquest” March 21 and 24 and “The Settlement” April 4 and 7. Call the museum for times and reservations.

DETAILS

George Stuart miniatures, “The Conquest of the Americas” at the Ventura County Museum of History & Art, 100 E. Main St., Ventura. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $1-$4. Call 653-5267.

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