Olympics, a New Edition, and News from the British Museum

The Olympics have finally arrived in London! While we celebrate the world coming to London for the 2012 Olympics, why not also discover London as a world city four hundred years ago, captured through Shakespeare’s plays. Discover this in our major exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world. Plus, it’s the perfect time to be inspired by the free collection. From a free trail on the ancient Games that inspired the modern Olympics, to a display of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic medals. Plus don’t forget the many free exhibitions and displays you can enjoy this summer – everything from Picasso prints to the horse. Race you to the Museum! Shakespeare exhibition now open The BP exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world Until 25 November 2012 Book now › Watch the exhibition trailer › This major exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Discover the world of William Shakespeare and the emerging role of London as a global city through objects and contemporary performance. How has Shakespeare spoken to you? Share your brush with the Bard and tell us your tale by visiting Shakespeare in my world › £14, Members and under 16s free Supported by BP. Part of the World Shakespeare Festival and London 2012 Festival. What’s on for the Olympics Winning at the ancient Games › Until 9 September 2012 Follow the trail to learn about the ancient Olympic Games. Sui Jianguo’s discus thrower › Until 9 September 2012 The Asahi Shimbun Displays The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games medals › Until 9 September 2012 Supported by Rio Tinto All Olympic activity › Free exhibitions and displays Gold medal of Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard. England, c. 1580–1590. Picasso Prints: The Vollard Suite › Until 2 September 2012 Modern Chinese ink paintings › Until 2 September 2012 The horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascot › Until 30 September 2012 Supported by the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund, the Layan Cultural Foundation and Juddmonte Farms. In association with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities. North American Landscape: Kew at the British Museum › Until 25 November 2012 Supported by the American Express Foundation Crowns and ducats: Shakespeare’s money and medals › Until 25 November 2012 All exhibitions and displays › The Royal Gold Cup. Paris, France, about AD 1370–1380. Explore Going for gold... Or will it be silver or bronze? Gold: the Royal Gold Cup › Gold has always been highly valued across the world. This late medieval cup is made of solid gold and has had an interesting history. It is lavishly decorated with translucent enamels. The scenes shown on it relate to the life and miracles of St Agnes. Silver: a silver tigress from the Hoxne Hoard › Silver has the chemical symbol Ag, which comes from the Latin name for the metal – argentum. This tigress is part of the Hoxne Hoard, the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain. A metal detectorist found it in Suffolk in 1992. Bronze: a bronze shield from the River Thames › Before iron was first made, bronze was the most commonly used metal – hence the Bronze Age. Sheet metal shields such as this were not very functional as they would have become disfigured if used in real combat. It is therefore likely that this shield is parade armour, designed to be worn for display by important warriors. Discover more gold objects in the collection › Shopping Olympic Games range A wonderful selection of Olympic souvenirs. To celebrate the arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Games, discover a fascinating range of books and souvenirs related to the original ancient Greek Olympic Games where it all began. Every purchase supports the Museum – shop now › Also on in London David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery Kew Gardens, until 14 April 2013 Don’t miss David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery, a major exhibition from a celebrated British artist. Be inspired by sculptures, drawings and films in the majestic surroundings of Kew Gardens, its glasshouses and gallery spaces. The Olympics have finally arrived in London! While we celebrate the world coming to London for the 2012 Olympics, why not also discover London as a world city four hundred years ago, captured through Shakespeare’s plays. Discover this in our major exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world. Plus, it’s the perfect time to be inspired by the free collection. From a free trail on the ancient Games that inspired the modern Olympics, to a display of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic medals. Plus don’t forget the many free exhibitions and displays you can enjoy this summer – everything from Picasso prints to the horse. Race you to the Museum! Shakespeare exhibition now open The BP exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world Until 25 November 2012 Book now › Watch the exhibition trailer › This major exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Discover the world of William Shakespeare and the emerging role of London as a global city through objects and contemporary performance. How has Shakespeare spoken to you? Share your brush with the Bard and tell us your tale by visiting Shakespeare in my world › £14, Members and under 16s free Supported by BP. Part of the World Shakespeare Festival and London 2012 Festival. What’s on for the Olympics Winning at the ancient Games › Until 9 September 2012 Follow the trail to learn about the ancient Olympic Games. Sui Jianguo’s discus thrower › Until 9 September 2012 The Asahi Shimbun Displays The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games medals › Until 9 September 2012 Supported by Rio Tinto All Olympic activity › Free exhibitions and displays Gold medal of Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard. England, c. 1580–1590. Picasso Prints: The Vollard Suite › Until 2 September 2012 Modern Chinese ink paintings › Until 2 September 2012 The horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascot › Until 30 September 2012 Supported by the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund, the Layan Cultural Foundation and Juddmonte Farms. In association with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities. North American Landscape: Kew at the British Museum › Until 25 November 2012 Supported by the American Express Foundation Crowns and ducats: Shakespeare’s money and medals › Until 25 November 2012 All exhibitions and displays › The Royal Gold Cup. Paris, France, about AD 1370–1380. Explore Going for gold... Or will it be silver or bronze? Gold: the Royal Gold Cup › Gold has always been highly valued across the world. This late medieval cup is made of solid gold and has had an interesting history. It is lavishly decorated with translucent enamels. The scenes shown on it relate to the life and miracles of St Agnes. Silver: a silver tigress from the Hoxne Hoard › Silver has the chemical symbol Ag, which comes from the Latin name for the metal – argentum. This tigress is part of the Hoxne Hoard, the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain. A metal detectorist found it in Suffolk in 1992. Bronze: a bronze shield from the River Thames › Before iron was first made, bronze was the most commonly used metal – hence the Bronze Age. Sheet metal shields such as this were not very functional as they would have become disfigured if used in real combat. It is therefore likely that this shield is parade armour, designed to be worn for display by important warriors. Discover more gold objects in the collection › Shopping Olympic Games range A wonderful selection of Olympic souvenirs. To celebrate the arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Games, discover a fascinating range of books and souvenirs related to the original ancient Greek Olympic Games where it all began. Every purchase supports the Museum – shop now › Also on in London David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery Kew Gardens, until 14 April 2013 Don’t miss David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery, a major exhibition from a celebrated British artist. Be inspired by sculptures, drawings and films in the majestic surroundings of Kew Gardens, its glasshouses and gallery spaces. There is also an exhibit for Shakespeare on. Oh, to be in England! I'd never leave!!! We were very lucky to be able to add a late Tete Jumeau to the Museum. She is lovely and in very good condition. We also added a 12 in "Mabel" head dressed as a little boy in knickers, cap, and button down shoes. We found in timely fashion one of the Franklin mint dolls dressed as QE II, Royal order of the Garter, and an Innuit doll, very nice, from Alaska with a porcelain face. At the same sale, for a mere fifty cents, we found one of the B. Ravca clothespin dolls. Emma cat has decided she is also a doll collector; she routinely plays and slepps with about six Mousie dolls, a clown, a catnip rabbit, and a catnip lush rocket. Some of these squeak and light up, and she enjoys embracing them while asleep on her pink and green plush baby blanket. Some cats have all the luck!

We are over 20,000!

I am thrilled to have had this many readers view my blog; also, many thanks to my 17 followers. I welcome all followers and family friendly comments. So, please forgive me for the rant to follow, which may continue for a few blogs. At leaset one other commentator on the About.com Doll Collecting Blog, has noted the negative publicity aimed lately at collectors in general, doll collectors in particular. It has disturbed me considerably; I don't appreicate being lumped in with "hoarders," which are no decried by the local pop psychs and psychobabblers as "sick." While anything can get out of hand, to doll collectors deserve to be put in a category with someone who has a festish for bags of dirty diapers that s/he can't throw away? I think not. There are many comments about Phyllis, the CNA grandmother who allegedly collected 50,000 dolls. How awful of her; she spent $2 per week or so on herself buying dolls to restore, as a break from dealing with two lazy, whining sons who had money in their eyes and aimed to take her house and everything else she had. I can refute point by point everything on that show. I also admit a sick fascination to watching it; sort like when one can't avert his eyes from an accident. There were other shoes about dolls, too, like one episode of the lesser known Buried Alive, where a woman with 1000 dolls was targeted, and Collecting Obsessions where a minor actress and ehr 500 dolls was features [The actress has been on the TV Tabloid shows before with some of her collection]. Back to Phyllis, some snotty little alleged psychologist, note I didn't say psychiatrist, waxed poetic on how Phyllis's two dollars per week was taking food out of her family's mouth. Hmm; the dolls shown that were being hauled off in dumpsters were worth by today's price guides from $1.00 - $20.00 each. Muliply that by the alleged 50,000 number. Wow; she threw out $50,000 of dolls, at least. At .50 cents, she tossed $25,000. Her little boys argued they needed a furnace, and the lazy one who didn't even live there argued the attic floor was going to cave in [though the stuffed dolls and soft toys in bags probably weren't what was causing the stress to the floor]. They could have put a downpayment on a new house and then some if they'd let mom handle it. If, that is, she really wanted to dispose of her collection. Psycho, sorry, Psych No. 2 came in and said that Phyllis' house was clean and pretty organzied, not really a hoarding pattern, but he would gamely try to come up with one for the show. How nice of him. Maybe he could review his colleagues hidden and hoarded collection of plastic sex toys with her; now there's a how I'd like to see. As for sheer numbers of collectors, it's interesting when I googled the term "doll hoarders" I really only found stories related to the three examples above. Again, morbid fascination. Many collectors who responded seemed to be just as upset the sites that featured Phyllis. It seems we've found another way to gang up on the elderly and prey on them. Especially if you are in a lower economic bracket; how dare you have a hobby, yes to help relieve stress and anxiety. Of course, gardners can collect their trasn and manure, but of course, that's for compost. Librarians can have their books; tools of the trade. HM? Do wealth and class have anything to do with this? Here are some collectors with astounding numbers of items in their collections. The Smithsonian Institution, founded on the collection of one man. America, we're all hoarders! Margaret Woodbury Strong; Strong National Museum of Play and Toy Hall of Fame; up to and beyond 34,000 dolls at any time, plus over 100,000 other artifacts and toys, including a library. Strong also collected many other things including 600 doll houses, perhaps that many claw foot tubs, shells, fine art... Her husband, Homer, founded Numismatics magazine. William Randolf Hearst of Hearst Castle Fame; started with postcards bought on trips. Isabella Stewart Gardner Peggy Guggenheim Miss Ima Hogg Umberto Eco, author of The Name of the Rose, over 50,0000 books Shirley Jackson, author, over 100,000 books and a complete colletion of withcraft memorabilia Jay Leno, anything and all things auto, including every issue of Car and Driver bought since he was 15 Alex Jordan and The House on the Rock. Google it; words won't desrcibe it. I love it! My friend EJ, over 5000 Pez and counting Numerous articles in House Decor magazines re collectors who hae "10,000 dolls and more." Marilyn Gelfman Karp, author In Flagrante Collecto, and host to over 2000 collections Harry Rinker, the guru and collection insprector himself, who used to live an old school rennovated to house his treasures. The Louvre The Mme. Galea Colletion, now in Monaco Aunt Len's Doll Musem The Samual F. Pryor International Doll Library collection; he was friend to C. Lindbergh, who also collected dolls and automatons. Neil Diamond; has a warehouse with all his costumes and memorabilia Marlena Dietrich; used to do the same Jane Withers, actress, former Josephine the Plumber; over 10,000 dolls at one point Well, enough. I think we all get the idea. Myself; I'm going out for more to add and to enhance our museum, though, I wonder if I should open it in brick and mortar fashion to the public at all. Clara Scrogins Johnson; over one million Christmas ornaments. Think Hallmark

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