Uranium glass, one of the collectibles that can be seen during a June 28 “Evening with the Collectors” at the Lake County Historical Society in Baldwin.
By Jill Engleman, Curator, Lake County Historical Society Museum. Photos courtesy of LCHS.
The Lake County Historical Society (LCHS) will celebrate the history of collecting with a museum fundraiser to be held 5-8 p.m., Saturday, June 28, at 915 N. Michigan Ave. (M-37) in Baldwin.
During an “Evening with the Collectors,” members of the public will be asked to donate $10 to view 12 collections gathered at the museum for one night only and have two of their own antiques verbally appraised.
“Want to learn what that special heirloom is worth, or even what it is? This is the place to find out,” said Bruce Micenski, president of the LCHS. ”Every dollar from this fundraiser will support future historical society programing and museum exhibits.”
Owners of the now-shuttered Silver Hills Antiques of Pentwater, Dan and Lin Hoesktra, along with Ray and Sherry Kloostra, will be available to give verbal appraisals of your two antiques ⸺ except for artwork, please.
Why collect antiques?
People collect antiques for a variety of reasons, including a sense of history, aesthetic appeal, investment potential and the thrill of the hunt. Antiques often offer a tangible link to the past, allowing the collector to connect with history. A collection may have come from an ancestor. Preserving the heirlooms and adding to them keeps that special relative close to one’s heart. Collections may be a result of one’s career, such as a railroad worker collecting toy trains or a police officer collecting sheriffs’ badges. A collector may express interest in a particular topic. For example, one might collect quilts because they admire the tremendous work that goes into making one as well as the graphic design of the hundreds of available patterns. The appeal may be in the craftsmanship of a Victorian rocker or the delicate form and design of a glass vase.
Many collections hold sentimental value for their collectors. They often evoke memories of a particular time or place. Antique collectors are helping to save the past for all of us. Each group of historical items collected is a win for preservation of the fabric of our society’s heritage. Some people use the items from their collections daily; others display them in their homes and view them as art.
Examples of collectibles
People collect everything under the sun. Collections vary from what one might consider normal to the obscure. Furniture, books, toys, glassware, perfume bottles, jewelry, postcards, radios, decoys, door stops, vintage clothing and musical instruments are some of the more typical collections. But people also collect things like human false teeth, bird nests, celebrity hair and a particular brand of bandages.
There is always one more paperweight, button or fishing lure you don’t have. The thrill of the hunt is a large part of collecting. Many find the process of searching for and acquiring antiques to be a fun and rewarding hobby. Finding a unique piece in an unlikely place produces a significant “high.”
Collections on display
Tom Curtin has been collecting gadget canes for almost 20 years. The secret compartments hold everything from glass liquor flasks to knives and swords, and one features a dog’s head that holds your driving gloves when you aren’t wearing them.
Jenny Micinski’s interest in teapot-themed Victorian Christmas ornaments stems from her fascination with one her grandmother hung on her tree every year. She now has over 30 teapots! What a beautiful Christmas tree they make.
Marty Corson has been decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs, formally referred to as Pysanky, for decades. These works of art are incredible; the designs are intricate and extremely difficult to execute. Marty will be on hand to show you how they are decorated.
Chris Grier, of Idlewild, will be sharing a portion of his Black collectibles. His interest stems back to a college professor’s presentation during one day of graduate school. Learn how “glass, darkly” changed his life. His collection spans generations of the Black experience and includes slave shackles, Black dolls, Jim Crow memorabilia and Idlewild collectibles.
Barbara Blass-Frisby’s collection of Barbie Creations by Hazel Buell will bring back memories for several Baldwin residents.
Chris Crosthwaite is a collector of Roseville pottery, and Mark and Kate Wilson have uranium glass. Both will appeal to glass and pottery collectors as they are beautiful examples of early 1900s’ decorative ware.
A whimsical collection of Peanuts characters, owned by Helen Radtke, will make you smile. From a Snoopy telephone lamp to bobble heads, prints and an enormous Snoopy, they will add some fun to the night.
Susan Bradford-Tripp will be sharing her collection of ladies’ pins from the early 1900s through more recent designs. If you know Susie, she always has a pin on her jacket.
Chris Hayano has been fishing since he was a small boy. His collection of fly-fishing reels spans over 40 years and chronicles his life on the river.
Jill Engelman has collected perforated paper needlework for a number of years. She appreciates the women from the 1870s through the 1940s that stitched different messages into works of art.
Rounding out the exhibition will be the museum’s collection of cartoons by the late Don Ingle. He was a patron of NaTahKa North in Irons and often drew cartoons on the restaurant’s placemats. Recently donated to the museum by NaTahKa’s owner Larry Bender, the placemats will be on display for the public to enjoy.
Visitors are invited to walk through the museum during the event. New exhibits include Duffy’s Barbershop, Northwoods Cottage, Women in Conservation, Flies and Fly Tiers, Preservation of Idlewild’s Early Cottages and Owners, and more.
Tickets for this special “Evening with the Collectors” event may be purchased at the door or in advance at the museum. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum is free. Follow the historical society on Facebook HERE.
Read more stories with the Lake County Historical Society:
Historical society to celebrate museum addition
Museum preserves newspapers, thanks to grant
Quilt trunk show promises ‘coziest’ gathering
An Idlewilder’s place in Black history
New documentary cements Marlborough’s boom-to-bust history
On the musical road to Idlewild
