Obsessions: Collectors and Their Passions(Mitchell Beazley Interiors)

A brief and entertaining history of the collecting mania from ancient times reveals both famous and near-forgotten collections of the past. The main part of the book looks at current collections by private collectors, split into four main categories of Grand Old Traditional, Natural History, Curiosities and Eccentricities, and Avant-Garde Art & Chic. Collectors from around the world are featured, including Hunt Slonem in New York, Ernst von Loesch in Berlin, and Robert Opie in the UK, with collections ranging from skulls and butterflies to farm machinery and modern art.

Table of Contents:
A History of Obsessive Collectors 6; A brief and entertaining history of the collecting mania from ancient times, through the era of the formation of the great Cabinets of Curiosities and the earliest art galleries to the collectors and collections of more recent centuries. Grand Old Traditional 26; Featuring the homes of international collectors, including Snowshill Manor in the UK with its collection of antiques, musical instruments, and armour, Lillian Williams' Paris collection of mid-18th century costumes and furniture, and Rick Ellis and Thomas Jayne's collection of antique furniture and sculpture in New York. Natural History 62; Collections of objects and artefacts that relate to the natural world, such as Larry Forcella in New York with his collection of insects and skulls, Tim Knox & Todd Longstaff-Gowan's collection of skulls, shells, and taxidermy in the UK, and Joubert's collection of birds and insects in Paris. Curiosities & Eccentricities 92; A selection of bizarre and wonderful collections including that of Frenchman Jean Claude Baudot with his collection of slot machines, Los Angeles resident Coop's collection of film and comic toys and figures, and Margaret Tyler in the UK with her collection of royal memorabilia. Avant-Garde Art & Chic 154; Collections of modern art and sculpture displayed with panache and style by collectors such as Ruth & Marvin Sackner of Miami, Florida. Index 190; Acknowledgments 192

About the Author :
Design historian Stephen Calloway is a Brighton-based writer, lecturer, and consultant on architecture, interior design, and the history, of taste, as well as a curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. He has written for various magazines in the UK and USA including The World of Interiors, House & Garden, Nest, and Elle Decor. He has also written and contributed to many books, including Baroque, Baroque, The Elements of Style, and Divinely Decadent. An aesthete, wit, and dandy he is also an obsessive collector, with a particular fascination for the art and letters of the 1890s. Deidi von Schaewen is a photographer based in Paris, although she travels the world to photograph interiors for magazines such as The World of Interiors, Vogue, and Elle Decoration. She has also contributed to a number of books such as Indian Interiors, Fantasy Worlds, Divinely Decadent, and Contemporary Glamour.

Review :
"This is a hugely enjoyable book, perceptively written and beautifully designed" Traditional Homes & Interiors magazine; "Buy it as an invaluable reference book, or buy it as a chocolate substitute as part of a calorie-controlled diet, but please buy it." Your New Home magazine"