Gordon Rutherford's miniature houses had long been an Ackland favorite during the holidays. His Victorian mansions, furnished down to the last doily, sparked the imaginations of girls and boys of all ages. In the 1997 holiday season, Rutherford exhibited a new and somewhat different model at the Ackland--a Victorian train station. Accompanying the station were works from the Ackland's collection that dealt with travel.

"People can relate to them--it's a fantasy," Rutherford said, explaining the popularity his miniatures have enjoyed at the Ackland. "Whether it's ship models or trains or airplanes or a miniature house, I think that people like the notion that they have control of a small world."