I rarely comment on auctions as I am often "chastised" by keen buyers
who argue that publicity about an auction puts the prices up. In some
ways they are right especially if i happen to highlight as special
bobbin, but i doubt they need worry if i am just mentioning an auction,
after all the keen buyers all know about what auctions are current.
However there is a current auction (and few before it) that have
presented a collectors presentation and notes about the bobbins in this
collection.. as is! i.e. on a page, on a card, whatever the the
collector used. The auctioneers have chosen not to remove the bobbins
from their "environment" and sell them as is.
I like this idea especially as we are now going through an age when the
appears to be a changing of the guard of collectors as they get older,
other things in their life take priority, or they just think "been there
and done that"! (I am sure there are many more reasons) Their notes and
thoughts are valuable to historians.
I have recently written an article that i hope to get published about an
older member of our community who had some interesting bobbins that she
wanted to share with me (digitally) that were of special interest. She
has no internet but went to the trouble of photographing the bobbins
(many many times until she got them right!.. such patience) got them
printed and sent them to an intermediary who passed them on to me. What
an effort, what a love for her beloved occupation of lace teaching for
more years than many of you have lived. The notes that she included
were so interesting, they gave insight to years gone by and in one case
opened up a genre that I had not come across and thus never thought of
putting in my data base.
I would like to offer encouragement to you collectors not to lose the
personal notes on the bobbins you purchase for you collection. They are
informative and in my case "emotional" (my male, stiff upper lip has
disappeared!! smile)
Often families do not know what to do with collection and rightly try to
recoup some money from the collection for the family.
Some decide to offer their collection to a local or a specialist museum
in lace/bobbins whatever. I like this idea except that in my experience
a few of such collections often never see the light of day, just kept in
a box in the museum. Worse than that some museums refuse to entertain
giving free academic access to these collections placing their need for
money (museums do cost a lot to run) but to put their financial needs
before public education strikes me as being unbalanced for what i
believe to be a museums charter. (I admit it is an ethical question)
If you offer a collection to a museum, do ascertain where their values
lie, is it in education or financial gain? How do they balance these two
needs and do they offer free academic access to their collections for
educational purposes?
Yes, I do have a bee in my bonnet about this that gifts, often
(especially for bobbins) well older than the date for the
non-copyright-fee, that contain interesting even valuable local history
happenings and events stuck in a few pencil boxes unless you pay to see
them.
Forgive me for getting worked up again.
I am sure you all know that without Arachne and few special collectors
none of our research a writings about lace bobbins could never have been
done (that includes a few museums too)
PS I have started to write up the East Devon/ Downtown project. When it
is finished it will be a companion publication along with the
Dictionary ( www.brianlemin.com ) Oh yes I am still short of decorated
Downtons and Inscribed Honitons
Hope you are all keeping well. Take care
Brian
--
Brian
Cooranbong. Australia
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