COLORADO ARTIFACTUAL – ABOUT US
“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” Groucho Marx.
Yes, that’s me — in Oxford, England — looking rather foolish. Got lost in the Bodleian and ended up at a wedding. Probably because I asked who wrote Shakespeare’s First Folio. But, hey, if you can’t laugh at yourself, then you’ve no right to laugh at others.
I’ve been in this business, what, thirty-five, forty years — rare books, first editions, Colorado antique maps, photographs, and historic artifacts. Not what I’d intended to do in life. But after finding a first edition of TENDER IS THE NIGHT inscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald to Scribners’ art editor — and in original first state dust jacket — that was that. No better way to get in touch with culture and the past. Really!
I’ve met a lot of people, gone to many places, assisted private collectors, public museums, libraries and other institutions build their collections and research archives. What a grand tour.
I remember meeting Lowell Thomas in Victor, Colorado, and then working with his son, Lowell, Jr. to reinvent the Victor/Lowell Thomas Museum. I conferred and laughed with Doug Adams and came up with one of his favorite inscriptions, “To a terribly lousy alchemist,” for his Hitchhiker’s Guide series. Was deeply and sincerely honored to work with George Miles, the William Robertson Coe Curator of Western Americana at the Beinecke, in helping further build its Colorado Collection for over twenty years. Stupidly asked Clive Cussler if he thought his books were literary. Worked as the first and only Historic Preservation Director of the City of Cripple Creek during the first six years of the limited gaming experiment — and was hated by every casino owner in town. Have given talks on Colorado history in the United Kingdom and Germany. Was friends with John Dunning, bought from and brought books to him, and tried oh-so desperately to become a character in one of his books. Bought and placed in History Colorado one of their most important historical artifacts — according to friend, Prof. Tom Noel –an ambrotype of Capt. John Williams Gunnison. Purchased and redistributed two of Colorado’s largest historical reference collections, those of Dr. Robert Shikes and Edwin and Nancy Bathke — where did all of that go? to museums and libraries across the country, and even some to Europe.
I’m just getting started here, so don’t let me bore you.
That’s Jackie, my wife and partner. She got me off the single-malts and onto skis.