Various Memorabilia
Quinn Peeper What do you collect? As a child I collected toy soldiers, postcards, books, music boxes, busts of composers, shells and beads (Native American trade beads, Venetian glass beads and worry beads). Now as an adult, I collect 17th and 18th century engravings of my college at Oxford, Blind Earl porcelain and commemorative English monarch coronation and jubilee china; my latest thing is items associated with the Duke of Wellington. What ignited your passion? My grandfather was the ultimate collector. His office was a cabinet of curiosities, the walls were festooned with taxidermy specimens of his many hunts under which were maps, antlers, barometers; he had bookcases of atlases, books, journals, stamps, coins; globes of the earth, the moon, the heavens; it was a treasure trove of stuff from his whole life. To paraphrase Proust, it was a room full of “remembrances of things past” and all of us grandchildren loved getting lost in that office. Every object had a story attached to it. My family also influenced me. We were always able to bring souvenirs back from our travels. As child, I had as much excitement of anticipation of the souvenirs as the trip itself. Tell us about your latest collection? My latest collecting craze started at my wedding weekend six years ago in England. My dear friend, the writer Antonia Fraser, hosted a luncheon in our honor and informed us that we were getting married on Waterloo Day, June 18 – the day in 1815 that Wellington defeated Napoleon. Since then, I’ve collected things Wellington – busts, bronzes, china, Staffordshire potteries, engravings, books, commemorative coins and 19th century political satire cartoons. Wellington is fun to collect in New Orleans as it’s a city where most people sympathize with and collect the loser of the battle. Every room of our house has a representation of Wellington of some kind. You can play “Where’s Wellie” as you pass from room to room. Wellington is cheaper to buy in New Orleans than Napoleon!
40 st. charles Avenue July 2017
Tells us about your favorite pieces. Everything is my favorite. If I didn’t feel that way, I wouldn’t buy it. My grandmother gave me a music box for Christmas every year from the time I took piano lessons – most are from Vienna, a few Italian ones. My favorite one is from when I was about 10 years old: a German carved wooden Schroeder from the Peanuts comic strip series; he’s at the piano with a bust of his favorite composer, Beethoven and it plays the theme from the third movement of the “Emperor Concerto.” How do you find items? Specialty shops, auctions and eBay. What will you do with them? I use, admire and display my collections. Are there new collections you would like to start? No. My accountant and financial planner both agree that I must work on collecting retirement assets Where do you keep them? All over my house, the music boxes, composer busts and miniatures are kept in the music room along with other music-related objects, like an early 18th century music stand and sconces from the estate of Arturo Toscanini, the great Italian conductor. Do you use any of the items or are they only to be admired? I definitely use everything. Why is collecting important? For nostalgia and memory of the past. They also commemorate events. Does collecting influence your lifestyle? I invariably find something to add to an existing collection on holiday. The great thing about collections is there’s always room to extend the empire!