Collecting things—objects, books, quotes, anything—can be a wonderful and often lifelong pastime. As a museum, we are lucky to have a number of objects that have been collected over the years. Sometimes those objects come to BCM as a complete set. For example, a doll with all of her clothes and accessories (like Miss Kyoto in our Japanese House) or a doll house that comes complete with furnishings, dolls, etc. (like some of the houses on view in Big and Little). Sometimes the museum receives individual objects that we are able to put together with other similar objects to create a “collection,” like our window display of teacups from around the world.
Many people begin collecting when they are children or young adults and then continue throughout their lives. My mother is one of those people. When she was in college, her roommate went to Tanzania and brought her back a small, wooden giraffe. (Can you find it in the picture? It is small and his neck is bent down as if drinking from a pool.) Today her collection includes jewelry, pictures, picture frames, puzzles, and lots of stuffed animals. Because her collection has grown so large, she is very “fussy” about what she accepts into the collection (just like the museum). Her goal is that each giraffe should be unique in some way.
If you have a collection, let us know. We would love to hear how you got started and what you collect. What do you look for as your collection grows?
The Power of Play 