Mermaid on a Powder Horn
Before the internet, Jim collected thousands of things, out of curiosity and a love of history. Passion + scholarship. A good eye + infinite patience. I don’t have the eye. … Continue reading Mermaid on a Powder Horn
Category: collectibles
Treasure or Bric-a-brac?
It’s a question asked by every retiree looking to downsize and every child cleaning out the old homestead. Keeper or tosser? Garage sale “fill” or family heirloom — or fabulously … Continue reading Treasure or Bric-a-brac?
Photos, Dolls, Thoughts Unspoken
I picked up a used book on dolls [1]. The black and white photos by fashion photographer Hermann Landshoff surprised me. They weren’t staged fantasies, yet they had a pictorialist, … Continue reading Photos, Dolls, Thoughts Unspoken
The Bride Doll
I was not that child who took care of her toys. Dolls were companions in make-believe, not decor. We played house. We played school. I pulled off their clothes and … Continue reading The Bride Doll
Big old dolls: creepy or divine?
A note. Let’s get our terms straight. Horrifying dolls are those possessed by evil spirits and get “invited” into your home to wreak havoc. Creepy dolls are merely unsettling. Something … Continue reading Big old dolls: creepy or divine?
Old photos, lively spirits
I have spent the past week sorting, scanning, labeling, and gently restoring old family photos. Like “The Velveteen Rabbit,” they are creased and faded and scuffed, but the very fact … Continue reading Old photos, lively spirits
The Rochester Patriarchy 1914
Once upon a time, Jim bought a book called “Club Men of Rochester in Caricature.” It was produced in 1914 by Jack Sears and associated cartoonists and printed at the … Continue reading The Rochester Patriarchy 1914
Ancient Peru: who are you, stranger?
Jim spent time in Peru during the 1960s as part of a team of physicians learning about healthcare delivery systems across the Americas. It was a cultural exchange project, meant … Continue reading Ancient Peru: who are you, stranger?
The tau tau and storytelling
Everything sooner or later turns into a story. Maybe in God-time the Word becomes Flesh. But in my experience Flesh fades into Word and the Word becomes Story. Yeah. People … Continue reading The tau tau and storytelling
Japan #1847: drawing, calligraphy, oh my
This is a marvel: a hand-drawn manuscript for a small Japanese book by Utagawa Yashitora, an ukiyo-e print artist who (among other things) published over a hundred books during his … Continue reading Japan #1847: drawing, calligraphy, oh my
#1850 Japanese Album
About four years ago, when I thought I’d finished inventorying and cataloging Jim’s better collections, we opened one last drawer in his study — the drawer where he kept trinkets … Continue reading #1850 Japanese Album
Semi-organized
I am organized, but not obsessive. Get get intense about something. And then it’s put away “for another day.” I’m working on our “stuff” this week, preparing for another round … Continue reading Semi-organized
