Tuesday, April 25, 2000

Hand-carved ship replicas go on display

David Pellerin/Caller-Times

Raul Valadez and Tanya Campbell examine the detail on the replica of the Galicia, which is one of four hand-carved ship replicas by local resident Julio Allo on display at the Omni Bayfront Hotel.

Two days after overseeing the careful transfer of his intricately hand-carved ships to the Omni Bayfront Hotel for display, local resident Julio Allo was back at home handcrafting yet another miniature vessel.
   Since 1973, a few years after moving here from his native Spain, Allo has been carving replica ships out of yellow and white pine, mostly as gifts for friends.
   He has kept four - replicas of La Niña, the Great Harry, the Golden Hinde and the Galicia - a home collection that had never been displayed together anywhere but in his own living room.
   That is, until Friday, when the ships found a new home in the first floor of the Omni Bayfront Hotel, where they'll remain on display indefinitely.
   The ships, Allo said, are for sale. Purchase information is posted with each piece.
   "When you see these ships, you realize what a tremendous labor of love they have been for Mr. Allo," said Jim Snow, the hotel's general manager, who became interested in displaying the work at the hotel after reading about the craftsman's hobby.
   Although the ships have been on public display for only a few days, their Easter holiday debut proved "a big hit," Snow said.
   "People really love them," he said. "We've had 500 guests come through here for Easter brunch and many of them were snapping pictures."
   Meanwhile, back at the Allo home, a big empty space in the family living room reminds the craftsman of what took him years to build and just a few days to turn over.
   But Allo promises it won't remain that way for long.
   From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Easter Sunday, Allo was hard at work on his latest project, a replica of the USS Constitution, which he hopes to complete in three weeks.
   He took only a few hours off that day for Easter dinner with family and friends, then returned to work on the ship until 3 a.m. the following morning.
   Allo's next projects include a replica of the French ship St. Louis, and replicas of Columbus' Santa Maria and Pinta.
   If all goes well, they too someday will be on public display somewhere.
   "It makes me sad, sure, but my dream has come true," said Allo of the ship collection no longer in his home.
   "They're somewhere that people can see them. I'm glad others are enjoying them. Besides, I can see them any time I want to. All I have to do is go to where they're on display."
  
  
 

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