As to the history of the model:
These packs were an attempt to drag paper models kicking and screaming into the present, by presenting them in a similar way to plastic models - not as a print but as a kit in a box. It was supposed to make the merchandise more "saleable" in shops. The result ... small models and a high overhead for packaging. Have a wild guess why these boxes are out of production ...
Having spent many hours in the Altes Schloss on research projects I'd love one of those, though!
As to Norm's musings:
Quote
Schreiber's architectural models have always had superb graphics, even at a time when computers were still something you'd only find at NASA ... Hard to believe the graphics were done by hand.
Why is this so hard to believe?
I don't know your age and background, but I do have absolutely no problems with hand-drawn graphics being good. In fact I grew up with them and haven't known anything else until way after my misspent youth. Artists have created fantastic artwork for hundreds of years BC (before computers), constructors then even knew how to measure and calculate.
A computer is nothing more than a pen, paper, measuring tape and calculator rolled into one, a tool.
Today creating a card model is as easy as 1-2-3, and with all those photo-realistic structures available off the net anybody can clobber together a decent model in no time. Drawn (ha!) something wrong? Tweak it after building the test print.
But despite creating models being easy, quality has not really improved. On the contrary - many graphic designs are soulless works of artisans, not artists. They build up okay, true ... but once you have seen an A 4 sheet filled with a repeating structure the size of a postage stamp you know, deep inside, that this person did not have a clue what he was doing ...