From childhood to adult: my fascination with collecting
Some thoughts on why I love to collect old rubbish and my joy at discovering fellow collectors on Substack.
Synonyms for ‘Collector’
Gatherer
Acquirer
Hoarder
I have a hazy recollection of my childhood, but the consistent memories I have are of my collections.
From Troll Dolls to key-rings, novelty pencils and McDonalds Happy Meal toys (thank you to
for jogging my memory on that one!), my hobby of collecting cheap trinkets was a constant pleasure for me, and well worth blowing my weekly 50p pocket money on.Back then, (we’re talking mid 80’s to early 90’s) I didn't consider the environmental impact these mass-produced bits of plastic would have on the planet. I was a kid, of course I didn't.
Sadly, none of my collections made it with me into adulthood. I get a pang of guilt to think that those poorly painted plastic disney figurines and rusting keyrings are languishing in a landfill fight now, or being hauled up from the ocean by the extraordinary Ocean Cleanup project.
It’s partly for this reason why, nowadays, my collections tend to be nature based - feathers, shells, leaves, pebbles and animal bones, or found objects such as pottery shards, buttons and coins.
This week I've been thinking about why I collect and why I enjoy it so much. I’ve come to the conclusions that:
For me, it’s an inexpensive, low energy hobby which takes minimal effort and very little from the planet. In some cases, I’m doing the planet a service by collecting stuff people have thrown away!
My interest might come from my parents, my Mum collected novelty, ceramic teapots and my Dad had a collection horse brasses which were hung around the fireplace. I would earn pocket money by cleaning them!
I love the thrill of discovering something interesting or beautiful that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. NO ONE will have the exact flamingo feather I found at Coton Manor Garden earlier this year, or the same pottery shard which has an intriguing blue arrow pattern on, discovered whilst on a walk at my local nature reserve. Finding these objects feels exclusive, it feels special.
I feel a sense of calm and accomplishment when I organise my collection.
When I study and draw items from my collection I feel a deeper connection with them.
I’ve come to realise how objects can hold visceral memories of places, people and moments in time. Maybe if I’d kept more objects from my childhood, I would remember more about that time? As someone who has a poor memory, the objects I keep now have become increasingly important to me, and can stimulate memories in the same way an album full of photos does.
I love to read about fellow collectors, it validates my peculiar, Womble-like hobby!*
This week, Creative Flock subscribers generously shared details about their own collections in this post, and I was overjoyed yesterday to read picture book maker and artist Jane Porter’s Substack, where she included a fascinating write-up about a ‘Mini Museum’ event which is held each year by the ArtWorkers Guild in Bloomsbury. Artists showcase their ‘Table Top Museums’ and their collections range from View-Master cameras to measuring tools.
Jane shared her own, stunning, mini-museum, inspired by Peter Blake’s ‘Museum for Myself’.
Further reading and recommendations:
Jane Porter’s substack - ‘Story Street’
Short video from the Tate, about Peter Blake’s third exhibition featuring his vast collections, which took place at The Museum of Everything in 2010.
The Museum Makers, by Rachel Morris, with illustrations and cover artwork by Isobel Greenberg. I highly recommend this fascinating book, which is part memoir, part history of museums. It’s a compelling read for anyone interested in collections, history, memory, or indeed, museums.
Mudlarking - I haven’t really mentioned Mudlarking in this post, it’s something I would love to go down to the Thames to do! I follow some mudlarkers on Instagram, here are some favourite accounts.
*For those unfamiliar with them, The Wombles was 1968 children’s book, later popularised as a British children's animation series from the mid 1970’s. They were a family of furry, pointy nosed creatures, who lived in a park in London, and would make use of the rubbish they found.
If you’re a collector, please let me know by replying to this post!
I hope you enjoyed this post about my fascination with collections. If you did, please share with someone else who might enjoy it.
