COLLECTING CRAZE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1934, Page 27

COLLECTING CRAZE

COSMOPOLITAN "WEAKNESS"

Nothing Is sacred froni tlie collector, from a derelict tobacco-tin to a hangman's rope or discarded buttons. Of all weaknesses, if weakness it be, this of collecting is surely tho moat cosmopolitan: it attacks equally the monarch, the millionaire, and that nebulous individual the "man. in tho street."

A young and. beautiful countess.was ablo to boast of. tho finest private collection of skulls,.and.a well-known peer had memorials .of every criminal who had been hanged. . during fifty years, from his boots, to a.section of tho rope which put a full stop to his career. An American university professor. was prouder, of his hundreds of "bottled brains" than of his great medical reputation. ' -■■■.••.. King Edward was very proud of his walking-sticks. Nearly 200 in number, they ranged from specimens in ex-quisitely-carved ivory from. India to a stick made from one of the- piles of old London Bridge and an elaborate bit of carving on which Sir George Dibbs,

the Australian statesman, lavished months of loyal and loving work. ExPresident Cleveland had a very remarkablo collection of sticks of all countries and ages, including one made from tho horns of every kind of animal to be found in Texas. A wealthy New' York doctor had another collection which included a specimen with a handle containing throe pounds of solid gold thickly encrusted by diamonds embedded in which, was a gold chronometer with the doctor's monogram also in diamonds.

Of collectors of whips the name is legion. Tho Earl of Lonsdale has a room full of them, many worth considerably more than their weight- in gold. Tho Duke of Beaufort had a large number of the whips used by riders of Derby winners for nearly-a century past. Another collection included a whip nearly 300 years old, which was offered by King Charles II as a prize at Newmarket.

Queen Alexandra is said to have accumulated the largest private collection in England of photographs, thousands'of which were the product of her own skill.

King George is ono of tho world's keenest collectors of stampsy The Duko

of Edinburgh was deservedly proud «f his collection of old and rare violin* and ef his fleet of vessels /fashioned in. silver.

Lord Beaucliamp has an unriyalle3 collection of historic snuff-boxes; liord Choylesinoro 's collection of English mezzo-tint jiortraits is the finest and largest in the world. Lord Amhetßt of Hackney made a hobby of accumulating Egyptian antiquities; and Lord Alingtqn devoted years of enthusiastic work to his "White Farm." at Crichel, Wimborne.

The Duke of-Bedford has quite a : wonderful menagerie at Wobnrn Abbey. '• Sir; Edward.Fry had no rival as a ; collector of British mosses. Mr. Bar- '! ing Gould had a keen and industrious •; eye for valuable specimens of old oak. •! Mr. Guy Boothby ' collected live fish '■'■ from all the world over, and Mies Marie Oorelli spent many thousands of pounds on the purchase of rare old volumes, i

Human efficiency may be at its peak any time between ten in the morning and midnight—it depends on the individual. But, according to a scientist's calculation*, it is no higher first thing in the morning than it is at bedtime.