Omrod's Giant World of Miniatures

Bob Omrod was an art teacher for approximately forty years in the Royersford, Pennsylvania area, espousing the use of ‘found objects’ in the creation of art long before it became vogue to do so.  The school’s custodial staff, when cleaning, would put aside found objects they thought might be of use to Omrod in what they called “Bobby Bags” – he then incorporated many of these items in his homemade pieces.  Omrod lives in the house he once shared with his mother, who he took care of for 23 years, until her passing.  During this time and since, he filled his house with his creations:  dollhouses, train layouts, Wild West scenes, dioramas.  Some have moving parts, some are lit, all are highly imaginative and often refer to familiar characters from films (Wizard of Oz, for example) or television, or depict specific places in time.  The collection was not created with the intention of being able to move it around, and indeed, some of his installations were attached to the structure of his home.  Very rarely would he lend anything out – one example of this was when he placed one of his dioramas in a local bank in the effort to raise funds for a young girl in need of assistance for medical bills.  He did achieve some level of celebrity, having had the opportunity to meet Pat Nixon during a visit to the White House. Now, his collection is on permanent display as part of the American Treasure Tour.  

Please enjoy the Giant World of Miniatures, and explore this site to find further information regarding just a few of the highlights of this journey through the imagination of one local artist.