New Uses for Old Passions

View current stock of books about Collecting

I am, as my better half will confirm, a lost cause when it comes to collecting. If I acquire two of anything, by whatever means, it can become the start of a new passion.

I am a completer, for example in music, if I like one piece of music by an artist, I am liable to buy everything they have ever recorded, like it or not, I really must get out more I think.

Anyway when it comes to books my collecting began many years ago as an offshoot of a love of films. It started with studio collections, there were a series of books on the likes of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Columbia Pictures, United Artists et al, containing a full list of the films made by the studio with details of stars, directors, awards etc.

This was followed by film biographies, stars, directors and so on, details of their lives and careers, but more and more it was the images of the people, either in film roles or star type portraits, that became my personal passion.

I became fascinated by the photographers like George Hurrell, and the techniques they used to present the stars in the best light. I collected books of images by the specific photographers, or in some cases books with nothing but images of individuals, favourites include one with images just of Buster Keaton's face, others of just Marlon Brando or Marlene Dietrich, one of the best being a book full of images of the great Fred Astaire dancing, some colour but mostly black and white, really works of art in their own right.

And as a collector you are seldom aware of the value of items bought new. I have for example a large format book on the making of the film 'Lawrence of Arabia' with Peter O'Toole, bought new years ago for about £20, never thought of it as a rare or valuable book, recently saw one sold for a little over £400, this of course does not happen with all books, but sometimes.

The collection now includes Front of House stills, sets of photographs used outside the cinemas to advertise the films on show, Press release information, provided to journalists to promote the films on release, books with the original story illustrated by scenes from the subsequent film, and of course Film Show Annuals, Picture Show annuals etc. with star portraits, stories of the films, the stars and their lives.

Anyway, we at last get around to the 'new use for an old passion'. A customer in the shop asked if we had any of the old style film annuals, as she wanted to remove the illustrations. Now as you can imagine the thought of breaking books does not naturally endear anyone to the staff at Stella Books, but remembering the old adage 'the customer is always right', well nearly always, I asked politely the reason for what appeared to be wanton vandalism. She explained she was a therapist working with people with a variety of illnesses, where one of the symptoms is short term memory loss.

It turns out she uses the images of well loved films and their stars of the past to help her patients recover their memories, if sometimes only for brief periods, guiding the memories to other areas of life that really help support improvements in their condition.

So for once I could not argue with the idea of breaking books, it seemed to me a very worthwhile reason for the books to give up their treasures, so there is a box waiting in the boot of my car for her next visit, so they can release the likes of Victor Mature, Randolph Scott, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and their long gone friends to help with her work, so a new use for an old passion indeed.

Contributed by Martyn

(Published 25th Feb 2015)