Readings

Response

A collection is a group of items that are brought together to be preserved, usually related to each other through a theme, though why a collection exists is often unique to the collection.

Of the collections mentioned in the reading, there was a nature collection, a gem collection, a jewelry collection, a blue enamel collection, a ceramics collection, an art collection, and a book collection. There are more, pertaining to statues, animals, mutations and oddities, antiques, plants, shells, birds, coins, and stuffed animals.

Most of these people pursued their curiosities, and collected for a quest for knowledge, or for the pride of being the only person to own such a rare oddity. Some of the readings speak of the passion for collecting beyond what is healthy. An all consuming pursuit of life that gives them little pleasure, yet it consumes their lives. This passion, which use to be a rarity and mostly depended on the financial standing of the person in question, is now more and more common. Hoarders are more and more evident, as spoken about in the third collection. Hoarders often collect that which few others view as valuable. Broken odds and ends, receipts, tuna can labels, and so on.

The pursuit of defining and defying nature was the goal of scientific collection. It was an attempt to capture a view of all of nature, its oddities and its unique creations. It was not only a defiance of nature, but a pursuit of classism, showing off the ability to afford such a collection. Collecting was the pursuit of nobles, people of power and affluence. To show off such a collection was to show your money and power, and ability to have others collect for you.

Many people have collections nowadays, even if they don't necessarily see them as such. I have a pack rat tendency to hold on to old handouts and worksheets, figuring that they'll be useful at a later point, regardless of how long past the class I am. I still have my Physics notes and textbook, despite that class having occurred 8 years ago. I have a collection of photographs on my computer, both ones I've taken and ones that are of interest to me. I own a large collection of Magic The Gathering cards, and a collection of fantasy books, and D&D books. These are all things that interest me, and while they don't get used on a daily basis, the thought of getting rid of them seems wasteful.