ModVic's mission is to authentically restore historic Victorian homes (1850 – 1910) back to their original beauty and richness while completely modernizing the home’s systems, functional layout and conveniences for families of today.
A Time Machine That Actually Worked?
May 15, 2008 (or choose your own date)
By Bruce Rosenbaum
It was 3 years ago that I was searching on Ebay for a time machine. I love gadgets and Victorian inventions and was wondering what would pop up in the search. Along with Back to the Future DeLorean model cars was an odd looking contraption that looked like it came right out of H.G. Wells book, The Time Machine. In fact it did.
A local engineer in Bedford MA had volunteered to create a time machine stage “prop” for a play called the Time Machine. The engineer’s creation (which took too many hours to build) was inspired by the 1960’s Time Machine movie starring Rod Taylor.
The reserve was $299 and there were no takers. Not thinking that it would just go for the reserve – I just threw in the bid of $299. A few days later I owned a time machine. I think this was the day I officially became a geek. The happiest person from the transaction was the engineer’s wife who wanted the infernal thing out of their home – it took up way too much space.
The question now occurred to me: What was I going to do with a Time Machine?
I had to admit it was great to look at and literally had lots of bells, whistles and lights that flashed and whizzed. I thought my son would like to have it in his room, but he hated this odd looking thing that took up half the space in his room and scared him at night. The time machine then made its way to our sleeping porch – stored away from our view and minds for close to 2 years.
Fast forward 2 years later (appropriate words when talking about a time machine…).
My wife, Melanie and I own and have restored our Victorian home in Sharon MA. After about 8 years of lovingly bringing our home back to life – we decided to start our own Victorian Home Restoration company, ModVic (Modern Victorian, www.modvic.com). The idea was to restore Victorian homes back to their beauty, charm and character while modernizing the layout and systems for families of today.
I’m a direct marketer by trade and knew I needed something different, unique to get people’s attention. What symbol, image, (gimmick?) would best represent what we are doing and attract interest? I was showering one morning, thinking about what we could use for our image and looked out our bathroom window (which looks out right across our sleeping porch) – there it was – just in time!
We just needed to make some modifications.
I added a couple of digital photo frames to show the Victorian home’s past, the restoration’s present and preparations for the future. My restorers also had to provide some structural integrity to the time machine – remember it was just a stage prop.
Add Bruce as “Mod” and Melanie as “Vic” and you’ve got Modern Victorian Home Restoration!
Of course time machines are not real, time travel is impossible physics. Or is it?
After we restored our first ModVic home in North Attleboro, we decided to have a Home Tour for people who were curious about seeing the home. I displayed the time machine and had a Victorian Barber Chair beside our machine for the full time traveler effect.
Before my presentation, the LeStage family introduced themselves and wanted to let me know that they were direct descendents of Benjamin Stanley Freeman – the original owner of our restored home at 390 Mount Hope Street in North Attleboro. The great, great, great, great, great grandson of Benjamin Stanley Freeman, a 10 year old boy sat in the time travel barber chair and wanted to travel back in time.
In fact – he had already traveled forward in time – over 100 years! Some how through our restoration and time machine props, this 10 year old boy made it through space and time to share and connect to the history and home of his great, great, great, great, great grandfather.
Wouldn’t it be great if he ended buying the home 25 years in the future from now? Well, I think it’s just a matter of time. I’ll be sitting in the barber chair waiting.