Photo by Ted Field
WHEN LUXURY dollhouse artist Jimmy Landers of Greenwood was commissioned to create a showstopping piece celebrating Indiana, he was given his pick of landmarks to model. Landers immediately chose Benjamin Harrison’s majestic Italianate house on North Delaware Street in Indianapolis, current home of the 23rd commander-in-chief’s Presidential Site. In a stroke of serendipity, the completion of Landers’ 6-by-4-foot replica, nicknamed the “Bigature” (a portmanteau of “big” and “miniature”), coincides with the 150th anniversary of the original home’s construction, which began in 1874, and comes on the heels of dramatic updates to the site and museum. The Bigature is composed of 48,000 miniscule bricks, is detailed down to its tiny gutters and HVAC system, and is a charming tribute to Harrison’s legacy and to the efforts of his wives, Caroline, a music teacher and artist who died while he was in office, and Mary, a supporter of the arts. Caroline lent her sophisticated eye to the design of the home, filling it with artwork, painted china, fine furniture, instruments, and gorgeously intricate wallpapers that were recently restored by Bradbury & Bradbury. Mary is credited with preserving her husband’s possessions and the home’s numerous artifacts, so that visitors today can be assured that 80 percent of the items on display are original to the family, from a letter written by Helen Keller to a hand-carved cane containing the busts of every president up to Harrison. The Bigature is on display in Civic Plaza at Indianapolis International Airport until January 6, 2025.
