The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-28

BY MRS. C. o. ROBINSON
TINE ever-groWing interest in
L preservation of historic OBJ
jects as well as the lure of collecting
was demonstrated amply in the
first pretentious hobby collectors
antiques exposition held in Chicago.
This show was the inspiration of o.
G. Lightner, who publishes Hobbies,
magazine for all collectors.
It was held in the Hotel Sherman,
which seemed an eminently fitting
place, as Ernest Byfield, president
Of the hotel company, is a collector
of aircraft models and nineteenth
century prints. Two modernistic
rooms of the hotel are decorated
with his aircraft models. They are
called THE Airport and "The Dog
Fight"
In the latter are wartime ships
of the German and allied armies
in combat position. Byf1eld's COL
lection of prints is famous. Those
in his office are Of the early days
in Chicago and the comic one in the
elevators draw much comment.
The show attendance was re-
markable, which proves the interest
of the public in the historical, the
beautiful, the unique or the unusual
The rooms were crowded from open
ing till closing hours, and it was
interesting to note that there was
much buying as well as looking.
SiXty-four exhibits, all quite ex-
tensive; were on display. What
ever your hobby, there was some
thing to see in your special line.
The women were Ching and Aiming
over china, glass, furniture, jewelry
and fans. The men were handling,
most lovingly old pistols and guns,
and peering at old maps.
The boys were paving through
trays of old coins and gathering
free packets of stamps. The little
girls were looking wistfully at the
old dolls, miniature furniture and
fans, and old glass and china doll
furniture.
n Il
THERE were too many wonderful
l. exhibits and too many interest
ing single items in each exhibit to
tell of each one, but a few unusual
ones merit special attention. A
silver f1ligree fan that had belonged
to Empress Josephine was one of the
rarest items. 1t was being exhibited
for the first time in this country
and is valued at $125,0O0.
1t was made by Saracen monk
in the Fifteenth century and
pillaged by Napoleon in one of his
wars against the Moors. 1t so ex-
actly resembles rose point lace that
it is difficult to believe it is metal.
The beautiful painting of Cor
neLa and her jewels" valued at
$150,0OO, was one of the exquisite
paintings on view. The pen with
which Abraham Lincoln signed the
Emancipation Proclamation was
part of a large collection of Lincoln
relics. The historic Walker tavern,
the one spot of civilization in the
wilderness for travellers from Fit.
Ponchartrain (now Detroit to FIT.
Dearborn (now Chicago sent its
old pine bar.
The Indian exhibit was one of the
largest. Every type of Indian relic
was shown, including a cigar store
wooden Indian Squaw. A real In
dian chief, who has the radio pro-
gram known as THE Lone Wolf
Tribe" sang songs and told stories
for the children.
The lover Of old glass would have
had a marvellous time. A pair of
decanters made for President
Arthur, a collection Of Swirl" a
pattern of pressed glass very heavy
and elegant, a Corinthian column
lamp, and the famous Carmel glass
made in Indiana exclusively, were
displayed, as well as such extensive
amounts of almost every pressed
glass pattern that undoubtedly the
one piece needed to finish a set
could have been found.
n 4
COLLECTION of 75o golf tees, all
~ different, every known type OF
cactus, marvellous ornamental iron
and treasure chests, a stamp col
lection worth 100000, money from
the earliest known medium of ex-
change to our handsome new
quarter, Empress GATHERINGS parsol
the pistols used when Alexander
Hamilton was killed, Puritan
blunderbus like the one used to
shoot the first Thanksgiving tur-
key, old clocks, quilts, in fact all
things collectable were shown.