From the Email Inbox: WLCo/WSVo/WLT in Vegas?

Hi….my name is Todd VonBastiaans and my friend Chris Scally has been telling me about you for many years…..and today she sent a picture of herself at your traveling museum. I have an art gallery in Las Vegas and I’m on the board for the First Friday arts event. I was wondering if you are traveling west anytime in the next two years….I would love to see if Vegas is a place you’d be interested in showing the gallery or possible a mini exhibition. Just so you know I’m not crazy feel free to google my name. Here are a few things I’ve done in the past that are interesting and have some relevance to an attraction like yours.

Triple A Via magazine published an article about an artist created mini golf project I sponsored and produced for Las Vegas. It was supposed to run two months and went for almost a year. Spin magazine also wrote it up as one of the 50 roadside attractions to do two summers ago.

I’m a proud sponsor of the Burlesque hall of fame which used to be in Barstow CA…but now is located in Las Vegas and I have donated their space to them for the last year.

I have a gallery that is run more like an exhibition space. Atomic Todd is it’s name. The new show that is opening next month is fashion made from items only found at a 99 Cents store. The show after that is the History of Monti Rock the Third…..

Anyway I don’t mean to make this long…but I’d be really interested in starting a communication if you are interested in spreading the joy of your museum to Las Vegas locals.

Thanks, Todd VonBastiaans


Hi, Todd - please excuse my tardiness in replying!

It was great meeting two of the WLT members in-person, and I'm so glad Chris shared her photos with you! I love the concept of your projects, and think we could work on a great partner exhibit... I retired the 'old' mobile museum, and moved WLT Inc. into non-profit status to build a bigger, better road exhibition space, using a retired bookmobile as a basis.

Things are moving MUCH slower than I anticipated, though, in working through the biz end of a new Non-Profit, so I don't know when the Gerstenslager will start touring (They are also proud participants in the development of the Weinermobile, adding the bun element when they produced the 50's design! Great legacy to be connected to.). BUT, we're trying to figure out ways to keep the collection traveling in the meantime.

We just sent off about 30 pieces to the University of Cincinnatti for a little show, and are producing a stand-alone sort of 'shadow box' of another part of the collection for a festival. I'd love to brainstorm about a collaboration that would bring the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things to Las Vegas in the next few years. (W.L. Cubit Zirconia is housed in the Libarache museum there, and the University has the W.L. flashlight). Please, let me know what you're thinking.

Thanks for getting in touch, and chat soon!

-Erika Nelson, Director

World's Largest Things, Inc., home of the
World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things (temporarily non-)Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum