Transport for LondonThe Stratford Hoard
An exhibition of collections brought together by Alan Kane
Exhibition 2 took place between October 2008 and January 2009 and contains collections from the following people:
- Nathan and Debbi Lewis-Gordon: Wind-up toys
- Lyn Hilaire - Black Dolls
- Errol Lawrence (aka Mansfield Hotspur): Vintage football boots
- Heather McDonough: Look what the cat dragged in
- Jack Harrison: Michael Jackson Bad Albums
- Jack Harrison: Tape
- Jack Harrison: 52 card pick up
- Paolo (IDNo. 37676) - Pokémon
Nathan and Debbi Lewis-Gordon
Wind-up toys
Images by Alan Kane
‘‘Our collection was born some 20 years ago and has since grown to incorporate wind-up toys made from plastic, metal, wood and fabric. ’’We love the diversity and quirkiness of these objects. The idea that somebody could invent and manufacture some of the more bizarre wind-ups is interesting in itself. ‘We like to arrange and re-arrange our collection for pleasure, and sometimes to illustrate a thought we may be having at the time. Above all, we think they are amusing and harmless and we enjoy collecting and the art of arrangement.’’
Lyn Hilaire
Black Dolls
Images by Alan Kane
The cover and reverse of the information sheet accompanying The Stratford Hoard show some of Lyn Hilaire’s collection of dolls modelled on black children and babies. She started collecting in the1960s when she was looking for toys for her children to play with. Lyn now has over 40 dolls from around the world including Monte Carlo, the West Indies, the USA and Canada.
Lyn’s full collection will be featured in Exhibition 2 due to be opened on Saturday 23 August.
Errol Lawrence (aka Mansfield Hotspur): Vintage football boots
Vintage football boots
Images by Alan Kane
‘Sportswear is constantly evolving in terms of design, look and feel. These samples from an eclectic collection of vintage football boots illustrate the way in which the most important tool of the footballer’s trade developed over the course of the last century, reflecting social and industrial trends and the expansion of the world’s most popular sport. ‘The display maps the journey from the heavy, monolithic, ankle-length boots of the early twentieth century, to the sleek, low-cut, avowedly modish pairs of the modern era. The different styles are an indication of the progressive modernisation of sportswear manufacturing and marketing – and evidence of the shift from local industry to dominant global brands.’
Heather McDonough: Look what the cat dragged in
Wind-up toys
Heather McDonough is a photographer with two collections here, both of which were collected for her.
Images by Alan Kane
The collection on the left is a collection of objects that her son Dexter (then 6) collected for his mummy because he thought they would be interesting for her to photograph. The other was collected for Heather by her two cats - Lottie and Dot - who, during her pregnancy with Dexter, mysteriously started bringing objects into the house and leaving them as gifts for her, and then just as mysteriously stopped this activity when he was born. The collection is not complete as some of the things were extremely perishable, some were returned to their rightful owners, and many of the balls have since been played with and lost.
Jack Harrison
Michael Jackson Bad Albums
Images by Alan Kane
Jack says that Michael Jackson’s Bad album is his favourite album cover of all time. His first one was given to him by his father and prompted him to start looking for others in charity shops; before he knew it he had 12. For a while Jack displayed them stacked on book shelves at home – on top of one another in a neat pile – but recently he hasn’t shown them at all. The displays of various collections only last a short time as his interest shifts from one to another. Jack has ceased to collect the album covers as he believes the collection has been completed with the addition of a t-shirt.
Jack Harrison
Tape
Images by Alan Kane
This collection started when Jack was working on film sets as an assistant cameraman during his 20s. After discovering that gaffer tape was a useful item to have on set, he soon found he had several and began collecting them in earnest. His sister gave him some skeleton tape and his next step was to start stacking them up in an attempt to reach the ceiling. Failing to do so, the tapes found their home on Jack’s book shelves, alongside his collection of Michael Jackson albums.
Jack Harrison
52 card pick up
Images by Alan Kane
The first card Jack picked up was Vietnamese. This unusually shaped card sparked his interest and he began a game of 52 card pick-up during his travels, as well as back at home in the UK. Jack’s friend Tim also contributed to the collection as and when he saw cards on the pavement. According to Jack, Cambodia is a great place to pick up cards because Cambodians play out in the street and when a game is lost the cards are thrown to the ground. One of Jack’s rules in collecting is to only pick one if several are found in one spot, otherwise it's too easy. 'If collecting becomes too easy, or too much too soon, then there’s not much fun left.'
Paolo (IDNo. 37676)
Pokémon
Images by Pokemon UK
Through playing, trading and attending special promotional events, this local librarian has managed the incredible feat of collecting all 493 of the fictional monster species available in the Nintendo Pokémon games. It has taken him hundreds of hours to complete his current collection, which involved having to evolve, train and breed the creatures that inhabit this extremely popular digital world.
