Collecting News Briefs

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

world record horse conch: Sanibel man's book chronicles lifetime of collecting gifts from the sea | The News-Press | news-press.com

Island treasure: Sanibel man's book chronicles lifetime of collecting gifts from the sea | The News-Press | news-press.com:

While diving about 20 miles off Sanibel’s coast, Ed Hanley found this world-record horse conch, which is now on permanent display at the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel

"Not all of his treasures came from far-flung places; Hanley found the world record horse conch while diving right here in Florida. But instead of selling it to an eager collector, Hanley placed the shell, Florida's state mollusk, on permanent display at the Bailey-Matthews museum."

Related articles

Monday, August 8, 2011

Butterfly Patterns: International photographs | RedGage

Colorful Lepidoptera on RedGage: Butterflies and Moths

Interesting colors

The monarch butterfly is common in the northeastern United States. Looking through the images at RedGage reveals hundreds of unique, rare and beautiful species. See a sample of butterfly and moth pictures from an international group of photographers.

"A collection of butterflies and moths from many authors on RedGage, representing butterfly species from all over the world."

Spotted lepidoptera

More great photographs

See more at www.redgage.com

collection includes eight original 13-star flags known to exist from the era of the country's founding - MontereyHerald.com :

Planting the flag with a collector's passion - MontereyHerald.com ::

"Zaricor, who began with two Canadian flags in 1970, was interested in not new flags but the history of individual flags, which had to have a story that could be proven true.

'I never even told anybody outside the family I was collecting flags until about 25 years into it,' he says. 'I always picked them up from yard sales or estate sales. There was never a day when I said, 'OK, today I'm going out flag hunting.' '"

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Grind organs, Monkey organs & Amusement parks - Carousel Organ Association of America - The Buffalo News

Crank up the music - Music - The Buffalo News:

"More than 100 members of the Carousel Organ Association of America will haul their instruments from 14 states and Canada. Calliopes, grind organs, Wurlitzer and Stinson band organs -- some of which are the size of a room -- fill[ed] the air with carnival music from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. [July 30 and 31st, 2011.]"

Grind organs were once called monkey organs because the grinders had live monkeys who attracted an audience and then worked the crowd by carrying a cup to collect coins, according to Ted Guillaum, association president. They were a staple of street performers from about 1880 to 1920, here and in Europe.

"I wish I had a nickel for everyone who asked me where my monkey was," said Guillaum, who purchased his German-crafted Raffin crank organ in 2003. Guillaum expects the Olcott rally to draw a record number of instruments.

"I had worked on the Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen steamboats and loved the sound of the calliope," said Guillaum, 62, and an archival assistant with the Tennessee Library and Archive in Nashville. "I jumped in not knowing anything."

The Carousel Organ Association sponsors a handful of rallies each year in such cities as Urbandale, Iowa; Weston, Mont., and Chattanooga, Tenn. A favorite rally point is Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pa.

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