Re: confetti letter?? (very long winded) *LINK* *PIC*
| June 14, 2005 02:55PM |
Unfortunately this sort of thing is too common. When the person who has spent a lifetime collecting the information passes on other "collectors" are like vultures round a corpse.
I have two experiences of this sort of thing. The first is that I mentioned that I had corresponded with a NG author (about twenty years ago) on a mailing list. Someone replied that the family where not entertaining offers for his collection inspite of its value to the wider NG interest group. My response was to suggest that the individual who had told me this (off list) was that he suggested to the family that the collection was donated intact to a reputable museum/organisation as the XXXXX XXXXXXX collection so it would be available to future generations as a valuable research archive.
The second is ongoing. Someone I knew personally but, I admit not particularly well as we had a mutual drinking friend, died about two years ago. I did not know that he had a very extensive library of railway literature until our mutual friend mentioned it after he had died. Apparently the vultures had been in contact with his widow within a week of his death making offers for this collection. However his widow is made of stronger stuff, and unknown to me, she knew that I am involved with a local preservation society, so she told our mutual friend that she wanted my organisation to have the collection as the "XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX collection" if we could guarantee that the collection would not be broken up. Fortunately we were, at the time as this is still going on, building a climate controlled archive storage facility. I initially spoke to the relevent people within the organisation and they said "go for it" but please ensure it is catalogued. Now, two years later, it looks like the the person who is going to catalogue this collection is me. Unfortunately for me I have not been had so much on my plate, workwise, in my life (business mileage per year normally about 150 - so far this month 900 - I am beginning to hate the A34!). Looks like I'll be spending a fair few hours in the next town north with my laptop logging the collection BUT it will be worthwhile for future generations.
Having proof read the above I realise that I must amend my will to ensure the survival of my own collection. My nephew (6) and niece (4) are currently fanatical about trains but whether this will be the case in the future I don't know so the wording will be something along the following lines - "should Simon and Laura be interested the subject they shall have the collection but if this is not so then the collection shall be donated to a registered Museum/Charity for the benefit of future generations".
I have never been fortunate enough to have children of my own so this is the best I can do. There is currently a debate going on in a UK magazine about collections that have been lost because there was no provision made for this lack of of foresight.
Sorry about the length of this.
G
P.S. the XXX's are not exactly the same length as the names of the names of those I'm refering to. Also I never name organisations I'm a member of as I'm speaking solely for myself.
Image is my ancient cat at least 15 years old) thinking of jumping from the computer desk to the chair with part of my library in the background
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I have two experiences of this sort of thing. The first is that I mentioned that I had corresponded with a NG author (about twenty years ago) on a mailing list. Someone replied that the family where not entertaining offers for his collection inspite of its value to the wider NG interest group. My response was to suggest that the individual who had told me this (off list) was that he suggested to the family that the collection was donated intact to a reputable museum/organisation as the XXXXX XXXXXXX collection so it would be available to future generations as a valuable research archive.
The second is ongoing. Someone I knew personally but, I admit not particularly well as we had a mutual drinking friend, died about two years ago. I did not know that he had a very extensive library of railway literature until our mutual friend mentioned it after he had died. Apparently the vultures had been in contact with his widow within a week of his death making offers for this collection. However his widow is made of stronger stuff, and unknown to me, she knew that I am involved with a local preservation society, so she told our mutual friend that she wanted my organisation to have the collection as the "XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX collection" if we could guarantee that the collection would not be broken up. Fortunately we were, at the time as this is still going on, building a climate controlled archive storage facility. I initially spoke to the relevent people within the organisation and they said "go for it" but please ensure it is catalogued. Now, two years later, it looks like the the person who is going to catalogue this collection is me. Unfortunately for me I have not been had so much on my plate, workwise, in my life (business mileage per year normally about 150 - so far this month 900 - I am beginning to hate the A34!). Looks like I'll be spending a fair few hours in the next town north with my laptop logging the collection BUT it will be worthwhile for future generations.
Having proof read the above I realise that I must amend my will to ensure the survival of my own collection. My nephew (6) and niece (4) are currently fanatical about trains but whether this will be the case in the future I don't know so the wording will be something along the following lines - "should Simon and Laura be interested the subject they shall have the collection but if this is not so then the collection shall be donated to a registered Museum/Charity for the benefit of future generations".
I have never been fortunate enough to have children of my own so this is the best I can do. There is currently a debate going on in a UK magazine about collections that have been lost because there was no provision made for this lack of of foresight.
Sorry about the length of this.
G
P.S. the XXX's are not exactly the same length as the names of the names of those I'm refering to. Also I never name organisations I'm a member of as I'm speaking solely for myself.
Image is my ancient cat at least 15 years old) thinking of jumping from the computer desk to the chair with part of my library in the background
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
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