Yasmin Kuhn’s with Ruben Arana’s Guitar Pedals Yasmin Kuhn “My favorite collectibles are my guitar pedals. As a young musician, I didn’t have much money; my little money was spent buying things to enhance my bass guitar sound. I was infatuated with how a pedal could...

The Beauty of Blackness as Represented through Dolls throughout Africa and the African Diaspora Valerie Ann Gray “A doll is a powerful artifact that serves as a source of play and entertainment, a celebration of heritage and culture, and a reflection of beauty and...

It's a Doll's Life Valarie Moyer “It all started with my grandmother, Bubbie, many years ago. The joy of playing around the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a doll to share. We had coffee parties, rather than tea parties. Bubbie would make a cup of Sanka, I...

Teapot Rosemary Browne “These tea pots were lovingly collected in memory of my darling son, Zachary.  During his time as a teenage cadet at Valley Forge Military Academy, Zach had a friend whose family were tea connoisseurs. He became a tea lover and started brewing...

Elephant Story Marilyn Kauffman "My name is Marilyn Derr Kauffman and I am 88 years old. As growing up an only child my best friends were books. Once while recuperating from a nasty bout of flu, I was given a book by a friend of my mother's, 'Elephant Walk.' It was an...

Thai Temple Rubbings Lois and Jim Williams “When visiting Bangkok, in southern Thailand, we purchased several temple rubbings to present as gifts to friends and family and kept a few for our enjoyment. Thailand is famous for its winsome smile and temple rubbings,...

Rugs, Rugs, Rugs Joyce Davis “Some people collect fine paintings, sculptures, or sparkling jewelry. But there's another art form that has inspired me from my first travels into the Middle East -- oriental carpets. I fell in love with my first carpet while sipping...

Mom's Glass Jean M. Foschi “My mom shared her love of antiques with me. My childhood home was full of pieces of vintage furniture she brought back to life through hours of refinishing. When I was seven or so, my mom picked up an old washboard at a garage sale. We were...

Collecting African American Themed Postage Stamps James Joppy Jr. "The contributions of African Americans toward the development of the nation have been documented through the years on U.S. postage stamps. My introduction to African Americans on U.S. postage stamps...

Delta Theta Sigma Sorority, Elephant Collection Deborah Gadsden Deb Gadsden’s affinity for elephants began long before she was inducted into the Lancaster (PA) Alumni Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in 1997 upon obtaining her master’s degree in social work....

Useful Tools and Works of Art Barbara Thompson “My interest in baskets was sparked while traveling in Charleston, SC, strolling through the City Market and encountering women sitting and making sweet grass baskets. Beautiful baskets of many sizes and descriptions...

Angels, Angels Watching Over Us Verna Edmonds “Over the years, in my mother’s travels on six of the seven Continents, she started collecting African American Angels for my sister and my Christmas Trees. Some of the Angels were an exaggeration of black face with big...

Collecting Fossils Allie Kochert “Collecting fossils isn’t usually a hobby that a middle-aged soccer mom gets into, but maybe I’m not your average soccer mom. Yet the ancient imprints wedded onto sandstone was exactly what helped me stave off the often-mundane daily...

Kevyn Knox's Pez Collection Kevyn Knox “I was asked how I got started as a Pez Collector. It was my lovely wife who got the Pez ball rolling. When I first met Amy, in our whirlwind four-week courtship before getting hitched, she had eight Pez dispensers sitting on her...

Where the Sacred is Inhabited Peggy Huffman   Through her collection of sacred artifacts from different cultures and traditions, Peggy Huffman reflects on the many ways objects serve as Celtic “thin spaces” or thresholds where we meet God. Peggy’s penchant for...

The Baxter Family A Collection About the World The Right Reverend Nathan Baxter, Violist and Educator Mary Ellen Walker Baxter and Petunia family pet   The Baxter’s collection reflects their personal pride and engagement with the world. The pieces are from places...