Evening star., 1945-05-11
Hobby Housing
BY Elem Sakes.

Collectors Of bric-a -brac and
other hobby-lovers have suddenly
found themselves in the spotlight
since the New York drama critics
circle voted "The Glass Menagerie"
the seasons best play. Starring
Laurette Taylor and with Julie
Hayden as Laura" the play de-
rives its name from 'Laura,s" col
lection Of glass animals, in which
she interests herself as an escape
from her lameness.
Webster defines escape" as men,
tai relief from reality or routine
and that Is just about what a hobby
amounts to. Too many people
though, make dust catchers out of
their collections of miniature OBJ
lects and other pieces that consti-
tute their personal hobbies. AS
surely as clothes make the man, SO
does an attractive arrangement of
ones treasured knickknacks either
create the illusion of possessions
set up with loving care or just a
I guess / ought to do something
about these darn ole things" atti-
tude. Since something ought to be
the focal point in a room why
shouldn't ones hobby serve the
purpose?
Many collections are versatile
and may be alternated according to
the seasons. Glass and pottery are
effective with summer rugs and
cool-looking curtains. For the
wintertime, a needlepoint collection
may be shown to advantage on
chairs, on small screen placed in
front of the fireplace. or grouped
in frames at the end of room
against a plain wall. Your old en-
broideries may be used to surround
a bedhead If they are framed and
arranged symmetrically to repeat
the shape of the bed. This will
produce a decided "Old World
touch"
II you are platter" expert-not
the hot jazz version but more O.
the willow-ware type-instead oi
placing choice examples on a plate
rail on the wall in the time -honored
fashion, exercise a bit of ingenuity
Buy special plate hangers and fix
your china in an attractive and
"dlf1erent" way over a chest in the
room or over the sideboard. A
cut-out wall cabinet is also a good
idea for your chinaware.
Now for the hot jazz collector
II you are connoisseur and number
jazz records like Duke Ellington's
Caravan" "Limehouse Blues and
Concerto for Cootie" of the early
1920 vintage, or recordings made
by the quintet Of the Hot Club of
France amongst your collection
1t is your duty to house them for
safety and "show-off" purposes
Two tall cabinets at either end of
the radio-phonograph combination
with numbered slots for records
and open spaces to accommodate
large albums are wonderfully con-
venient and good looking asset
to a room.
I Prints of anything from fruit
baby chicks, Christmas cards, Dali
surrealist art to glamorous models
may be shown off to the world ir
a most entertaining fashion BY
screening them. That is, placing
: SiiChi OI1 d SSlSSH llldG serves tS
camouf1age dreary corner, or i.
nice just to have around as a con.
versation piece. Chinese scenes are
favorites on the screen list. An.
other popular idea is to place youl
fan collection under glass panel,
and to place them on a solid color
screen in any manner that appeal.
to you. If you like to look up te
things why not hang your framed
prints going up the walls of youl
staircase to lend interest?
/ Boys and girls will welcome youl
thoughtfulness in providing fiat
table in their rooms for their scrap
books. And the junior miss will
thank you for the rest of her teen
age days If a bulletin board made
out of beaverboard-the kind that
asks to have thumbtacks stuck in it