Linda Walter - Hobby Legend

On January 9, the hobby received notice that Linda Walter, one of the earliest hobby members and influencers, had passed away. I contacted Nancy Kelly, who knew Linda well, and invited her to write a blog post about Linda and her involvement in the hobby. 

“Not everyone knows everything, so collectors need to learn from each other.” Linda Walter

This month the model horse hobby lost another founder who leaves behind a very rich legacy. Linda Walter was one of the original pillars of the hobby. Along with Ellen Hitchens, Simone Smiljanic, and Marney Walerius these four women helped collectors around the country connect with each other in the pre-internet era. 

Linda was born on November 5, 1947, four days after the death of the famous racehorse Man O’War, which she said may have something to do with her passion for horses. At age 18 months she ran away from home and was found 6 blocks away, following the milkman and his horse. She got her first model horse at age 6, and thus her extensive collection began.

She was friends with Simone, who published the first hobby newsletter, Pony Express, in 1966. When ill health caused Simone to step back in 1969, Linda filled the void with her newsletter, which grew exponentially as word of mouth spread its fame around the country. Her Model Horse Journal, later Model Horse Shower’s Journal, was a paper newsletter that she typed in her home using carbon paper to make multiple copies before graduating to a mimeograph machine. It was published until January 1980. The final issue was 700 copies, although Linda was sure that more than 700 people were reading and sharing it. When the time came to end MHSJ, Linda was warned that if she stopped printing the newsletter “the hobby will die!” She said it wouldn’t, and she was right!

Besides providing this publication which listed models for sale, model horse shows, and other information, many still recall Linda’s patient and helpful explanations. She became the person that Breyer referred new collectors to. People have shared fond memories of the assistance that Linda provided them as they learned about the hobby and the community at large. 

When the hobby moved to the internet Linda stayed behind, true to her own lifestyle. She remained available via phone and snail mail and enjoyed the contacts with friends and other collectors. Of course, she attended BreyerFest, the model horse convention in Lexington, KY every July. There folks sought her out to reminisce about old times, share new information, or just enjoy the excitement she generated about her favorite topic, model horses.

Linda’s kindness, deep knowledge base, and modesty all made her a special woman who will be greatly missed. She was one of the visionaries who helped to launch the model horse hobby that has grown beyond all expectations. Thank you, Linda!

Linda’s other passion was WWII aircraft. Her model horse stable was named “12 O’clock High”. She is shown here at a model horse show with a stack of newsletters on her table.

Diligently typing the next issue of Model Horse Shower’s Journal in the 1970s with her collection surrounding her.

Her newsletter contained information on upcoming shows, models for sale, informative articles, and several illustrations drawn by her.

Another example of a MHSJ cover.

Breyer referred new model horse collectors to Linda for information and advice. She was featured in their Just About Horses newsletter in 1978.

Each year at BreyerFest one could find Linda’s room by looking for this sign on her door.

For her 70^th birthday Linda was given a tee shirt with her door poster printed on it.

The most famous horse in her vast collection was the Beswick Appaloosa “Alconbury Hill.”

This is the most recent photo of Linda, taken at BreyerFest. She is on the left. Next to her (L to R) are model horse hobby folks Teresa Rogers, Nancy Falzone, and Jo Ellen Arnold.

Thanks, Nancy, for sharing about Linda. I will share a few things about Linda in an upcoming post, so stay 'tooned!

 

Four Pillars and a Pair of Wings - Linda Walter

(Again, thanks to Nancy Kelly for permission to take and use photos of her book, Exploring the Model Horse Hobby.)

If Ellen and Simi are the grandmothers of the hobby and Marney the mother, then Linda Walter is the voice of the hobby.

Linda Walter (left) and Teresa Rogers, BreyerFest, 2017. (p. 91)

Like Marney, Linda was a prodigious letter writer, and we corresponded so much that I still have her home address memorized! But it was through another avenue that she made a significant impact on the budding hobby - her newsletter, The Model Horse Shower's Journal.

(p. 82)

While there were many newsletters being published in the late 1960s/early 1970s, they did not have the reach that Linda's did. Everyone read it. Why? It was more than just a listing of photo shows, or sire and dam lists, it had many personalized columns and such, like this one:

(p. 82)

Using a typewriter, the text was crammed on the pages in single spaced style with drawings added by Linda herself and some subscribers. Look closely and you can see two well known hobbyists contributed to this page - Liz (Isham) Cory and Nancy (Mongan) Falzone. Breyer's Chicago address is also printed in the text above. Linda further personalized the MHSJ by adding comments and such to the articles herself. (See the handwritten text at the bottom of the page?)

Another reason that MHSJ rose to the top was because of its reliability. Linda always published it on time, despite the challenges of printing in those early days of the hobby. You knew when it was time for the next issue to arrive and began closely watching the mailbox every day, and there it was, right on schedule.

Through Linda's journal the gathering of hobbyists accelerated. We got to know people from areas far flung from our homes and friendships began. "Did you read in MHSJ the article about..." were conversation starters as we sent letters back and forth to new hobby friends and discussed our ponies, tack making, photo showing, and such.

The Model Horse Shower's Journal was absolutely pivotal in bringing the hobby at large together, allowing us to connect with and share our love of collecting with others who lived in places hundreds and even thousands of miles away. It was THE hobby publication to read.

Heady days, and made possible through Linda's dedicated efforts. That is why I believe her to be the fourth pillar and the voice of the model horse hobby.

Tomorrow - so, who are the wings?