Tiny world of Tom Rahner exhibit

ST AUGUSTINE –  Ignite your imagination and explore St. Augustine history with a trip into the miniature world of Thomas Rahner. Rahner’s exquisitely detailed ships, planes, and automobiles are not only works of art, but historically accurate models that transport viewers to the Victorian world of Henry Flagler and further in time, to the very founding of St. Augustine.

Thomas Rahner is a St. Augustine native with deep connections to the community. The son of a local photographer and the founder of the St. Augustine Art Association, Rahner was the creator of the Theater Department at Flagler College, where he is now a Professor Emeritus.

Rahner’s model reconstructions take months to plan and execute using photographs, drawings, and documents found at the local library and as far afield as the Smithsonian Institution collections. His private collection of miniatures also includes models of iconic vessels and vehicles from St. Augustine’s past. From Rahner’s interpretation of the San Palayo Galleon used by Spanish explorers on their founding expedition to St. Agustine in 1565 to replicas of Floridian industrialist Henry Flagler’s beloved yacht, these tiny marvels bring history alive.

Hurry in to the Lightner Museum where the exhibit is still on view through January! Thinking Small is free to the public and is located in the East Room on the mezzanine level. Guests who wish to view the exhibit may enter through the Café Alcazar Cordova and Granada Street entrance.

The Lightner Museum is located at 75 King St., St. Augustine, FL 32084.
LightnerMuseum.org • 904.824.2874 • info@lightnermuseum.org