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Buy a Miniature New York Deli from the Queens Museum of Art Panorama Model

Posted by Erin Zimmer, March 19, 2009 at 4:30 PM

Photograph from joshbousel on Flickr

In an effort to raise money, Queens Museum of Art is auctioning off pieces of real estate from its New York City Panorama model, built by Robert Moses and a team of 100 in anticipation of the 1964 World's Fair. The 9,335 square-foot plastic model includes every building in all five boroughs constructed before 1992, and is scaled to make you feel like Godzilla.

David Sax of the blog Save the Deli needed to know how this would affect the mini delis, and Debra Wimpfheimer of the museum responded with very good news. For $100, you can own one. (To clarify: the model remains at the museum, you just get the virtual title.)

That means that for a Franklin you can own Katz’s, Carnegie, the Stage, the 2nd Ave Deli (old or new), Russ and Daughters, Pastrami Queen, Lansky’s, Ben’s Best, Liebman’s, what have you.

Because it’s a virtual map, you can claim it and name it as you want, which means that you can even own classic delis that no longer exist. That means Ratner’s, Pastrami n’ Things, Bernstein’s on Essex, even delis in the far boroughs like Glieberman’s. Not only are you inscribing yourself and the deli in the book of history, but you’re contributing to a great New York cultural institution at a time when they need it most.

To order (you know it's tempting), fill out this form. Be sure to include the exact address or cross streets of your deli. If David had $100 to spare—he said he just got back from vacation and sadly doesn't—he'd grab Katz's stat.

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Tags: art, delis, Queens Museum of Art