Many of us have hoarded a great deal of aviation memorabilia over the years that we have enjoyed our hobby. I wonder how many of us have thought about what will happen to our collections when we are at that great airshow in the sky.
For my part, I have been photographing aircraft since 1959, and have gathered vast amounts of earlier shots along the way, such that the collection must now be well over 40,000 (I have never really counted). Then there are all the books, prints, and so on. In the past, I have been saddened by just how much material is thrown out following a collector’s demise, because no proper provision was made.
So being practical, not morbid, what do forumites want to happen to their hard earned collections, and have they done anything about it? They all have their part to play in contributing to the “gloabl database” of aviation history. Your thoughts would be welcome.
By: EHVB - 14th September 2005 at 22:03
My entire collection (pics, slides,paper,memorabilia,uniforms, medals etc) will become part of a large national museum in Holland. They already know this, and arrangements have been made. BW Roger
By: AgCat - 14th September 2005 at 19:47
NATIONAL AVIATION LIBRARY
Isn’t this just the aim of the initiative to form a National Aviation (or Aerospace) Library being led by the Royal Aeronautical Society? I think that this is gaining quite a head of steam and premises have been identified on the historic site at Farnborough (the old low pressure wind tunnel). Air Britain is involved, representing the interests of the enthusiast. I believe that the CAA has already agreed that its archive data should go to this Library. Issues such as access, funding etc are still to be resolved.
By: RPSmith - 14th September 2005 at 19:12
I tell my wife, now and again, that if I suddenly drop off the perch some of my “collection” is valuable so sell it carefully (Jack Bruce’s British Aeroplanes 1914-18 go for over £100 these days). Alternatively if I live to a ripe old age I may have to (very reluctantly) sell some/all of it off to supplement the state pension.
The loss of archival material when people die has been on my mind for a long time. When I was a Museum Trustee I was pushing to formulate a letter/leaflet that might be given to likely “candidates” encouraging them, in a very careful and discreet way, to make sure photos, log-books, etc. were not thrown away when they passed on. A very difficult topic. However my time as a Trustee came to an end and I don’t think the idea was proceeded with.
Roger Smith.
By: HP57 - 14th September 2005 at 18:26
Incidentally, the current prize of my collection is a recently acquired copy of the Maintenance Manual for the de Havilland Albatross. It was recently on Ebay, and Cees put me onto it. This must be a rare manual – there were only eight aircraft built!
Bruce
Glad you got it Bruce, but I hope you didn’t had to exchange your first born to get it as you thought at first.
Any news yet on that Mossie seat adjusting lever (tongue in cheek mode off 😎 )? 😉
My Halifax cockpit section replica as well as all sorts of HP-related bits and pieces are to be incorporated into a foundation together with a friend of mine who is building his Lancaster cockpit section simultaneously. We hope to collect as much Bomber Command material about these aircraft as possible to prevent it from being scattered everywhere. My wife knows what to do with my books if something should happen to me. So the future has been taken into account with. A lesson Mark 12 told me once and which I have never forgotten, we are only custodians for a while.
Cheers
Cees
By: zoot horn rollo - 14th September 2005 at 16:58
A word to the wise.
I recall reading that the National Rail Museum had stopped accepting certain types of bequest donations because they were usually couched in terms of ‘to be held in perpetuity’ by the museum which restricted the museum in what they could do with the material if it duplicated their existing material, for example.
By: HP81 - 14th September 2005 at 16:34
I have four children to leave my stuff to, but if they’re not interested I shall request that my photographs are given to Air Britain.
By: Steve Bond - 14th September 2005 at 15:59
“If it’s extensive, catalogued and worthwhile it will re-surface sometime later.”
Don’t you believe it! I know of far too many superb collections that have been broken up and lost despite that!
By: LesB - 14th September 2005 at 13:58
If it’s extensive, catalogued and worthwhile it will re-surface sometime later.
If, however, it’s like mine, a couple of shelves of books, bits and bobs of memorabilia, personal experiences, hundreds of un-sorted pix – it’ll die with me. Maybe my grandkids will come across bits of it in the future and sell them on e-bay.
.
By: EN830 - 14th September 2005 at 13:51
I’m leaving mine to Mark 12
By: Bruce - 14th September 2005 at 13:45
Its a fair point, and one which we will all have to address eventually.
I have often wondered just what has been lost over the years, when families clear up effects about which they know very little. Say what you like about Ebay, but it has given the ordinary person the opportunity to sell to a global market of collectors, so hopefully more stuff is now surviving.
My own collection is rapidly approaching the title of ‘archive’, and I have been wondering what to do with it before it gets out of hand. I am toying with formalising it into a ‘De Havilland archive’, and encouraging like minded individuals to add to it, so that there is a truly accessible archive of information pertaining to the de Havilland company and their aircraft. I would have to be careful not to tread on de Havilland supports toes, and would not try to.
Other than that, I had considered donating it to the museum, but there would be a lot of duplication, so much of what I collected may get split up. Its a quandary!
Incidentally, the current prize of my collection is a recently acquired copy of the Maintenance Manual for the de Havilland Albatross. It was recently on Ebay, and Cees put me onto it. This must be a rare manual – there were only eight aircraft built!
Bruce
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September 14, 2005 at 12:55 pm