The danger of wives throwing stuff in the trash is bigger than you might think!
Not in a fit of pre-divorce pique, neccesarily, but very often widows (and I suppose widowers too) often have no interest in, and no understanding of, their deceased loved ones hobbies.
Many years ago our next door neighbour died in his late 80s. He was a collector of 'memorabilia'. Or, to his wife's viewpoint, 'rubbish'. After he died she had a nice big bonfire. We don't think there was ill feeling at work, she simply had no idea that anyone would be interested in this old rubbish.
Old 'rubbish'... well, my Dad was leaning over the fence trying to see what she was burning, (whilst my Mother was dragging him back shouting 'leave her to greive in her own way!" Roughly translated this means "I don't want any of that garbage in my house!")
Point is, he had a large collection of photographs. My Dad did sneak in and casually ask if he could have a look at one album, which she willingly gave him. It was a collection of views of sailing ships in Whitby harber. Apparently the old man was raised there.... before the first World war, which seemed to be the vintage of the album. The prints were all stamped "F.M.S." :-o
I don't even want to think about what went onto the bonfire....
A similar well known story concerned a guy whose hobby was photographing the canals in the Midlands of Britain. He went out most weekends from the 1930s until his death photographing this changing industrial landscape. Historians who new his work realised his negative collection must be a treasure trove of history. When they discovered he had died they made approaches to his widow tentaively enquiring about plans for this archive - a few weeks after she had dumped the whole lot in the skip. The local council even organised a search of the local landfill, but nothing was ever found...
And cameras too, they usually turn up at antique centres after the 'house clearers' have been in. An aquaintaince of mine 'in the trade' tells me that they usually collect at least one camera from each house, usually something worthless, but occassionally something priceless. They pay a flat fee to clear a house either way...
I'm sure there is a moral here, somewhere.
Not in a fit of pre-divorce pique, neccesarily, but very often widows (and I suppose widowers too) often have no interest in, and no understanding of, their deceased loved ones hobbies.
Many years ago our next door neighbour died in his late 80s. He was a collector of 'memorabilia'. Or, to his wife's viewpoint, 'rubbish'. After he died she had a nice big bonfire. We don't think there was ill feeling at work, she simply had no idea that anyone would be interested in this old rubbish.
Old 'rubbish'... well, my Dad was leaning over the fence trying to see what she was burning, (whilst my Mother was dragging him back shouting 'leave her to greive in her own way!" Roughly translated this means "I don't want any of that garbage in my house!")
Point is, he had a large collection of photographs. My Dad did sneak in and casually ask if he could have a look at one album, which she willingly gave him. It was a collection of views of sailing ships in Whitby harber. Apparently the old man was raised there.... before the first World war, which seemed to be the vintage of the album. The prints were all stamped "F.M.S." :-o
I don't even want to think about what went onto the bonfire....
A similar well known story concerned a guy whose hobby was photographing the canals in the Midlands of Britain. He went out most weekends from the 1930s until his death photographing this changing industrial landscape. Historians who new his work realised his negative collection must be a treasure trove of history. When they discovered he had died they made approaches to his widow tentaively enquiring about plans for this archive - a few weeks after she had dumped the whole lot in the skip. The local council even organised a search of the local landfill, but nothing was ever found...
And cameras too, they usually turn up at antique centres after the 'house clearers' have been in. An aquaintaince of mine 'in the trade' tells me that they usually collect at least one camera from each house, usually something worthless, but occassionally something priceless. They pay a flat fee to clear a house either way...
I'm sure there is a moral here, somewhere.
