Found Objects of Art, from Iron Newell Posts to Elevator Ornaments; They were given a second chance to shine

As Memorial Conceptional Art, these are Dave Brown's plans for his heritage exhibits

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A SENSIBLE HOARDER? I WANT TO BELIEVE THERE IS, AND THAT I AM ONE OF THEM!

THE EUREKA MOMENT HERE WHEN WE OPEN A DRAWER WE HAD FORGOTTEN

    I FOUND ANOTHER FIFTY OR SO PIECES OF EPHEMERA I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, OVER THE PAST MONTH, OF TEARING MY CUPBOARDS APART. THESE ARE PIECES I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU KIND FOLKS, AND IT WAS DRIVING ME NUTS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I'D DONE WITH THEM. THIS INCLUDED ABOUT A HUNDRED FAMILY PHOTOS I HAD REMOVED FROM AN ALBUM, IN FAVOR OF A BETTER BOOK, BUT JUST NEVER FINISHED THE PROJECT. SUZANNE USUALLY DOES THIS FOR ME, BECAUSE SHE KNOWS I'M A TEXT BOOK PROCRASTINATOR. SO IN THE COMING DAYS, I'VE GOT SOME NEAT STUFF TO SHARE, THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN IN YEARS, BUT CARRY INTERESTING PROVENANCE.

     (NOTE) IF YOU HAVE JUST JOINED THIS BLOG, YOU CAN ARCHIVE BACK TO YESTERDAY'S BLOG, TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON MY TEACHER FRIEND, DAVE BROWN OF HAMILTON) EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, I FINALLY FOUND THE OVERFLOWING ENVELOPE, IN WHICH I HAD HASTILY BUNDLED DAVE BROWN'S EXHIBIT PLANS; THE ONES  HE DREW UP MONTH'S IN ADVANCE, TO USE FOR THE DISPLAY AREA AT THE ADMINISTRATION OFFICES, OF THE HAMILTON BOARD OF EDUCATION. I GOT THEM, WHEN I WAS WORKING ON HIS BIOGRAPHY, AS LOANED BY THE HOSKING FAMILY, OF GRIMSBY, DAVE'S ESTATE EXECUTOR. THE FACILITY HAD A EXHIBITION AREA, AND DAVE BROWN SIGNED ON AS ITS CURATOR. IN FACT, STAFF MEMBERS REPORT SEEING DAVE WORKING ON A NEW DISPLAY, ONLY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE HE WAS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL. MOST OF THE MATERIALS WERE "FOUND" OBJECTS THAT HE UNCOVERED, WHILE PLEASANTLY OCCUPIED ON HIS OUTDOOR ADVENTURES, WITHOUT EVER ADMITTING HIS ARTISTIC OTHER SIDE. HE SAW HISTORIC BEAUTY IN RUSTED SAW BLADES FROM AN OLD LUMBERING OPERATION; HE FOUND A STRANGE MAGNIFICENCE TO LINKS OF LOGGING CHAIN, AND VINTAGE TOOLS, AND COGS THAT KEPT LARGE MACHINERY IN OPERATION. HE COULD TAKE AN OLD IRON STOVE, TOGETHER, OR IN PARTS,  AND ITS EVENTUAL INCORPORATED DISPLAY, IN THE SHOWCASE, WAS AS WELL THOUGHT OUT, AS IF, INSTEAD, HE WAS ABOUT TO HANG A MONET OR PICASO. THIS WAS WHAT HE UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THE ART OF MANKIND. OF CIVILIZATION AND THE CHANCE FROM PRIMITIVE EXISTENCE PAST THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.

     I SHOULD NOTE HERE, THAT DAVE WAS A TEACHER WHO KNEW NO BOUNDS. ANY ADMINISTRATOR WHO TRIED TO CHANGE HOW MR. BROWN OPERATED, OR CURB HIS ENTHUSIASM OF "MORE IS BETTER," USUALLY FIGURED OUT ON THEIR OWN, HE WAS A BETTER EDUCATOR WITHOUT BEING FETTERED BY PROTOCOLS. LIKE AN ARTIST, DAVE BROWN WAS ALLOWED A GREAT DEAL OF FREEDOM, AND EVEN IF IT WASN'T OFFERED, HE TOOK IT ANYWAY. BUT WHAT THESE OVERSEERS GOT IN RETURN, WAS A TEACHER WHO'D WORK AROUND THE CLOCK, IF NECESSARY, AND NEVER ASK FOR A RAISE.

     DAVE WORKED PART-TIME FOR THE "DEMOLITION CREWS" IN HAMILTON, AND THEY LET HIM TAG ALONG ON MAJOR TEAR-DOWNS, ACROSS THE CITY, AND BEYOND. THEY WOULD ALLOW HIM, A FEW DAYS BEFORE  DEMOLITION, TO REMOVE ANY BUILT-IN PIECES HE DESIRED. THIS MEANT, HE COULD RECLAIM AN IRON SPIRAL STAIRCASE, IF HE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT DOWN FOR REMOVAL. DAVE MADE LOTS OF SIDE-DEALS TO FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES IN THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS (NOT ME), TO PURCHASE SOME OF THESE ITEMS, IF AND WHEN HE'D CUT THEM FREE. ON OCCASION HE WAS THWARTED BY EXCESSIVE REMOVAL REALITIES. NOT OFTEN BUT IT DID HAPPEN.

     I CAN REMEMBER HIM SHOWING UP HERE, FOR A YARD SALE, ONE SATURDAY MORNING, WITH A TRUCK LOADED FULL OF IRON NEWEL POSTS, CUT FROM A SCHOOL STAIRCASE, THAT HAD JUST BEEN TORN DOWN. HE HAD TO CUT EACH OF THESE POSTS OFF THEIR IRON MOUNTS, WHICH MUST HAVE TAKEN HOURS OF BACK BREAKING WORK. ONE DAY, HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE WICKED TIME, HE HAD, GETTING THE MARBLE BACKGROUND OFF A SECTION OF WALL ABOVE A BUILDING'S ELEVATOR SHAFTS. THIS WAS THE OLD STYLE DEVICE, WITH A BRASS ARM AND NUMBERS ON THE DIAL, THAT SHOWED WHAT FLOOR THE ELEVATOR HAD STOPPED. THE LARGE DIAL BACKGROUND, WEIGHED HUNDREDS OF POUNDS, AND HE WAS WORKING ALONE. HE JUST COULDN'T STAND LETTING THESE NEAT HERITAGE PIECES BE DESTROYED BY THE WRECKING BALL. HALF OF THE RECOVERED MATERIALS HE WOULD USE IN EVENTUAL DISPLAYS, AT THE BOARD OFFICES, OR SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THE REST WAS SOLD OR TRADED FOR BOOKS. ALL OF THIS PUT TREMENDOUS STRESS ON HIS BODY. HIS MIND WAS AS FIT AS IF IT WAS BRAND NEW, FOR GOSH SAKES.

     ON THE LAST VISIT TO OUR HOUSE, BEFORE HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FATAL ILLNESS, HE HAD A HARD TIME NAVIGATING UP OUR DRIVEWAY, AND HE ONLY TOOK A FEW STEPS, ON OUR VERANDAH, BEFORE HE HAD TO SIT DOWN. "ARE YOU OKAY DAVE," SUZANNE ASKED. "I'M OKAY NOW; IT WAS A LONG DRIVE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC," HE RESPONDED SLOWLY, BEING OUT OF BREATH. HE LOOKED PALE AND AS IF HE'D LOST FIFTY POUNDS IN ONLY A FEW MONTHS. WE ALL KNEW HE WAS PRETTY SICK, BUT AS WAS HIS WISH, WE DIDN'T DWELL ON THIS SUBJECT. HE ENJOYED A COUPLE OF GLASSES OF COLD ICE TEA, AND HE TALKED ABOUT HISTORY AND HIS NEAT FINDS, JUST AS WE ALWAYS HAD DURING HIS VISITS TO BIRCH HOLLOW. AS A SIDEBAR TO THIS, SUZANNE FOR YEARS HAD BEEN FEEDING DAVE VEGETABLES AGAINST HIS WILL. SHE IS ALWAYS IMBEDDING INTERESTING HERBS AND VEGETABLES INTO OUR CHILI AND STEWS, BECAUSE SHE FEELS WE NEED MORE TO STAY HEALTHY.  OF COURSE WE MIGHT DISAGREE WITH HER CHOICES IF GIVEN AN OPTION. SO SHE DOESN'T ASK. DAVE HATED VEGETABLES AND WHEN HE WENT TO MCDONALDS, HE WAS INSISTENT, THAT NO LETTUCE SHREDS GET ONTO HIS HAMBURGER. HE WOULD EAT AT SWISS CHALET, BUT THE SERVERS KNEW BETTER THAN TO OFFER HIM VEGETABLES EXCEPT FRENCH FRIES. SUZANNE MOTHERED DAVE THE BEST SHE COULD, AND LOW AND BEHOLD, WITHOUT KNOWING IT, HE WAS GETTING HIS VEGETABLES EVERY TIME HE HAD A MEAL AT OUR HOUSE. IT WAS HER TROPHY, I THINK, THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THE WILL OF THE BEAST. ON THIS LAST TRIP, IT WAS NO DIFFERENT, AND I'M SURE, WITH THE NEW WORRIES ABOUT HIS HEALTH, THAT SUZANNE GROUND IN A LOT MORE VEGETABLES THAN NORMAL. SUZANNE JUST FELT SHE HAD TO TRY ANYWAY. FUNNY THING ABOUT THAT; DAVE PHONED ME FOR OUR USUAL TUESDAY NIGHT CONVERSATION. WE DID THIS FOR YEARS, AND DAVE ALWAYS INITIATED IT, ON HIS DIME. ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENING, DAVE SAID HELLO TO ME, WITH A MUCH LESS ROBUST OPENING. HE WOULD ALWAYS START WITH A STORY, OMITTING THE "HELLO." IT WAS JUST HIS WAY.

      WHEN HE BEGAN THE CALL DIFFERENT THAN USUAL, I KNEW RIGHT OFF, SOMETHING WAS LEFT OF CENTER. SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I ASKED. "SOMETHING'S WRONG ISN'T IT?" HE INSISTED ON TALKING TO SUZANNE INSTEAD OF ME. WHEN SHE TOOK THE PHONE FROM ME, WE BOTH SHARED THAT LOOK OF REALIZATION, OUR OLD FRIEND WAS IN TROUBLE. HE EXPLAINED THAT DOCTORS HAD GIVEN HIM A FEW MONTHS TO LIVE, AND HE INSISTED THAT SHE BREAK THE NEWS TO ME; HE DIDN'T WANT US TO HAVE AN AWKWARD MOMENT OR ANY SHOW OF EMOTION. DAVE WAS ONE OF THOSE GENTS, WHO COULD HAVE HIS ARM CHOPPED OFF, AND THEN TRY TO SEW IT BACK ON WITHOUT A TEAR BEING SHED. HE ALWAYS FELT, THE WAY I WROTE, MY EMOTIONS OFTEN GOT THE BEST OF ME. HE FELT SUZANNE WAS MORE STOIC. IN A SHORT CONVERSATION, HE THANKED SUZANNE FOR ALL THE KINDNESSES SHOWN HIM IN THE PAST, AND FOR ALL THE SPECIAL INGREDIENTS IN HIS DINNERS. THE OLD FART KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING, BLENDING VEGETABLES INTO HIS DINNERS, BUT HE ATE THEM ANYWAY.

     IT WAS A SUNDAY MORNING DURING THE EASTER WEEKEND, AND IN THE MIDST OF OUR MORNING CHAT OVER COFFEE, THE PHONE WRANG. SUZANNE LOOKED AT ME, AND WE NODDED IN UNISON. "IT'S ABOUT DAVE," I SAID. LONG BEFORE SHE GOT TO THE PHONE, SHE WAS WIPING A TEAR FROM THE CORNER OF HER EYE. OUR OLD FRIEND HAD SUCCUMBED. IT HAD BEEN A GENTLE EASE INTO DEATH, AND HE HAD SOME OF HIS NEW "OLD" BOOKS AT HIS SIDE, WHICH HE HAD USED TO REMOVE HIMSELF FROM SELF PITY. DAVE DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE MADE A FUSS ABOUT HIM, OR OVER HIM, AND IT SEEMED SO APPROPRIATE TO THE WAY HE HAD LIVED HIS LIFE. WE PHONED SEVERAL OF HIS FRIENDS UP HERE TO LET THEM KNOW, INCLUDING HIS BUDDY RICK NASH, OF DORSET. HE USED TO LIKE SLEEPING IN RICK'S CANOE SHED, AT THE HOUSE, WHEN VISITING. RICK, YOU SEE, IS AN EXPERT IN THE RESTORATION OF HISTORIC BIRCH BARK CANOES, AND THEY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER BACK IN THE DAYS OF CAMP KANDALORE AND WORKING WITH KIRK WIPPER, WELL KNOWN IN CANADA, AS A LIFE-LONG CANOE COLLECTOR / HISTORIAN. IT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE, THAT THIS INCREDIBLE LIFE FORCE, WHO HAD SURVIVED A LOT OF KNOCKING ABOUT IN HIS DAYS, HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM THE WORLD PREMATURELY. AS IS USUALLY THE CASE, ON OCCASIONS LIKE THIS, WE ALL THOUGHT ABOUT THE THINGS WE WANTED TO SAY TO, AND ASK, DAVE BROWN. LATER THAT DAY, ANDREW, ROBERT AND I WENT DOWN TO THE WHARF AT SAGAMO PARK, FOR A LITTLE RESPITE AND GAD-ABOUT. ANDREW THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NEAT TO GATHER UP SOME STRAIGHT PIECES OF FALLEN BRANCHES, FROM TREES AT THE PARK, AND THEN LAUNCH THEM LIKE THEY WERE CANOES. YOU SEE DAVE ALWAYS PROMISED THE BOYS HE'D TAKE THEM ON A LONG CANOE TRIP IN NORTHERN ONTARIO, BECAUSE HE KNEW HOW MUCH THEY APPRECIATED THE OUTDOORS. SO THIS WAS ANDREW'S WAY OF MEMORIALIZING UNCLE DAVE, AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE TRIP WE NEVER GOT TO TAKE. ANDREW WENT TO THE END OF THE WHARF, OUT INTO THE SPARKLING WATER OF MUSKOKA BAY (OF LAKE MUSKOKA), AND WHILE ROBERT AND I LOOKED ON, HE DROPPED THE BUNDLE OF FOUR EQUALLY SIZED STICKS INTO THE WATER. WE STOOD THERE AND WATCHED AS THE FOUR STICKS MOVED OUT INTO THE BAY, FROM THE BACKLASH OF WAVES HITTING THE END OF THE WHARF; AND AFTER ABOUT FIFTY FEET OR SO, STRAIGHT OUT, ONE OF THE STICKS, AS IF DAVE WAS SENDING US A MESSAGE, BEGAN TURNING AWAY FROM THE OTHERS. ANDREW AND ROBERT, AVIATION BUFFS, KNEW IT AS THE "LOST MAN" FORMATION, THAT THE SNOWBIRD PILOTS PERFORM AT AIR SHOWS, IN TRIBUTE TO A LOST PILOT, DURING FLY-BYS. THEY WONDERED IF DAVE WAS SHOWING US, YOU SEE, THAT HE NOW HAD TO PADDLE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN WE DID. YOU KNOW, WE WATCHED THOSE STICKS DISAPPEAR FROM VIEW, ALMOST A HALF HOUR LATER, AND THE THREE HELD WITHIN SEVERAL FEET OF EACH OTHER, UNTIL WE EVENTUALLY COULDN'T SEE THEM. THE SOLO STICK HAD DISAPPEARED SHORTLY AFTER IT DEVIATED IN THE CURRENT, OFF TO THE WEST.      

    DAVE SUFFERED FROM LEUKEMIA. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT FOR LONG, BECAUSE AS IT TURNED OUT, IT HAD BEEN MANIFESTING IN HIS SYSTEM FOR A LONG TIME. HE JUST WROTE IT OFF TO WORKING TOO MUCH AND SLEEPING TOO LITTLE. MY MOTHER, WHO ONLY KNEW DAVE FOR A SHORT TIME, TOLD ME THIS WAS LIKELY TO HAPPEN TO HIM, AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE POOR CONDITION OF HIS TEETH. IN OUR HOUSE, THE OLD WIVE'S TALES WERE OFTEN REPEATED, TO VALIDATE ANY CONCERN MY MOTHER HAD ABOUT OUR GOOD OR ADVERSE HEALTH. I HEARD THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE, BECAUSE MY FATHER ALSO HAD BROKEN AND ROTTING TEETH, AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID WOULD KILL HIM. IT DIDN'T KILL MY FATHER, BUT WHO KNOWS ABOUT DAVE'S CONDITION. DESPITE DAVE'S FATHER HAVING BEEN A REVERED DOCTOR IN HAMILTON, DAVE WAS FRIGHTENED OF DOCTORS, DENTISTS, OPTOMETRIST, AND HOSPITALS. IF YOU KNEW DAVE, AND WATCHED WHEN HE SPOKE, YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE THE MAN WAS IN DIRE NEED OF A DENTIST. WHEN YOU SAW HIM TRYING TO READ A BOOK, WHICH HE HELD SIX INCHES FROM HIS NOSE, YOU REALIZED HE ALSO NEEDED A VISIT TO THE EYE SPECIALIST. WHEN I DROVE WITH HIM, I HUNG ON FOR DEAR LIFE, AND NUMEROUS TIMES EACH TRIP, I'D JAM ON THE INVISIBLE BRAKE ON THE FLOOR, HOPING I HAD ONE. DAVE WAS IN BAD SHAPE BUT IF YOU SAID ANYTHING TO HIM ABOUT IT, HE'D SHUN YOU FOR MONTHS IF NOT FOR EVER. ONE FRIEND BOUGHT HIM A PAIR OF OVER-THE-COUNTER READING GLASSES, WHICH WOULD ONLY LIGHTLY MAGNIFY WHAT HE WAS LOOKING AT. IT WAS A NICE GESTURE FROM A COLLEAGUE WHO CARED ABOUT HIM. HE THREW  AT HER, TURNED HIS BACK, AND WALKED AWAY IN DISGUST. DAVE COULD GET INSULTED EASILY, SO MOST OF HIS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES TRIED THEIR BEST NOT TO COMMENT ON SUCH PERSONAL THINGS. IT WAS DAVE'S GENIUS THAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT, BECAUSE I KNEW, THAT REGARDLESS, THE MAN WAS GOING TO LIVE HIS LIFE THE WAY HE DESIRED; NOT HOW WE DESIRED IT FOR HIM.

         THE DESIGN SKETCHES ABOVE HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE ENVELOPE SHORTLY AFTER PUBLICATION OF DAVE BROWN'S BIOGRAPHY, BACK IN THE YEAR 2000. AFTER DRAINING PROJECTS LIKE THIS, IT'S WHAT I DO, TO CLEANSE THE PALLET SO TO SPEAK. I HAVE TO SEPARATE FROM THE CONTENT OF THE BOOK OR FEATURE SERIES, AND SOMETIMES I WON'T GO BACK TO IT FOR A YEAR OR MORE. IT HAS BEEN FOURTEEN YEARS SINCE I PUT THIS MATERIAL INTO THE CEDAR BOX, AND FORGOT ABOUT ITS CONTENTS. IT'S WHY I WANTED TO SHOW THEM TO READERS TODAY, WHO HAVE READ SO MUCH ABOUT THIS OLD RASCAL OF THE OUTDOORS, MILES DAVID BROWN. HE WAS A CURMUDGEON. HE WAS OBSESSIVE AND STUBBORN. HE WAS FULL OF FEAR AND FEARLESS AT THE SAME TIME. HE WAS A BIBLIOMANIAC BECAUSE HE COULDN'T STOP BUYING AND ACQUIRING BOOKS. HE WAS A HOARDER. HIS HOUSE WAS COMPROMISED BY BOOKS AND CLUTTER. HE WASHED HIS DISHES IN THE BATHTUB BECAUSE THE PLUMBING IN HIS KITCHEN HAD FAILED. HE COULDN'T KEEP FOOD COLD, BECAUSE HIS FRIDGE HAD QUIT, AND HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO MOVE FIVE THOUSAND BOOKS TO GET IT OUT, AND A NEW ONE IN PLACE. SO HE ATE HIS MEALS OUT FREQUENTLY. BUT HE WAS DEDICATED TO TEACHING. HE WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL HISTORIAN. HE WAS A CONTRADICTORY SOUL, YET HE WORE ECCENTRICITY AS A SECOND SKIN, AND IT FIT PERFECTLY. WE ALL GAINED AS HIS FRIENDS, IN OH SO MANY WAYS. BUT I THINK HIS STUDENTS BENEFITTED MOST OF ALL, BECAUSE HE OPENED THE DOOR TO NATURE STUDIES, THAT FOR THEM, WOULD NEVER BE CLOSED AGAIN. THESE SKETCHES JUST BROUGHT IT ALL BACK, AND I DO OFFER AN APOLOGY, FOR FREQUENTLY REPEATING REFERENCES TO DAVE BROWN, AS IF HE WAS THE KING OF THE WORLD. BUT YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE EDUCATORS I'VE STUDIED UNDER, THERE WAS NO ONE WHO INFLUENCED ME MORE, OR TAUGHT ME BETTER, THAN THE MAN WHO WASN'T MY TEACHER AT ALL. NEVER ONCE, COULD DAVE HAVE ACCUSED ME, (LIKE SO MANY OF MY TEACHERS HAD COMPLAINED) OF NOT PAYING ATTENTION. WHEN HE SPOKE, I LISTENED. WE ALL LISTENED. AND WE ARE BETTER FOR IT!