1960s Posters and Underground Comics
Our friend Vince grew up in San Francisco, just as the Psychedelic Revolution was starting, so posters were everywhere. He loved them and soon began his poster collection. That let to underground comics, like works from R. Crumb and Rick Griffin. All these years later Vince is an accomplished collector with a wide range of interests — so this conversation covers a lot of ground!
We Collect For The Stories
Our friend Kurt collected baseball cards in his youth, and his passion grew and grew from there. An architect by day and a dedicated collector of ephemera in his spare time, he searches for items to complete his own collections and to discover items for others. But mainly he collects for the stories!
Lance The Mad Alchemist
“I do projection rhythm paintings” ~ Lance (The Mad Alchemist)
Collectors love art, music and obscure local history, and in this episode, all three collide in a freewheeling exploration of psychedelic music and light shows, from the 60’s up through international tours of today. Our friend Lance is a master of immersive environments, and at the age of 72, it’s his full-time job, and man, does he have stores to tell!
Click here to see one of his favorite lightshow performances. And here’s his Instagram.
Bottle Tom
By day, Tom fixed nuclear submarines, but his heart truly belongs to collecting glass. He’s got tales to tell, from schooners with ginger beer ballast burning in the San Francisco Bay to the purple bottles he harvests in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Buckle up for this fascinating conversation - you’ll never look at bottles the same way!
Berkeley Bonfires
Our friend Bart has a passion for historical memorabilia from The University of California. Among other things, his collecting journey has taken him deep into the UC/Stanford team rivalry and other revered student traditions. Times were very different then, and this conversation vividly brings those days to life.
Collecting Light
Stephen Joseph is a distinguished San Francisco Bay Area photographer known for his signature landscape panoramas that capture California’s distinctive geographic regions and rich, natural beauty in large and dramatic imagery. Esteemed for his ability to influence people and policy through his photographs, Stephen works regularly with land trusts and open space agencies whose mission is to preserve and protect private/public lands. Celebrated for his wide-ranging and compelling body of work, Steven’s extensive knowledge of photography and his skill in the craft of creating images elevate his photographs to the level of fine art.
Photograph: Stephen Joseph
The Professional Collector
Meet Dexter, a master collector who began his journey as an employee at auctioneer Butterfield & Butterfield. Now a full-time collector, he’s focused on early California history, victorian trade cards, mid-19th century clipper ship cards, and more. When Steve and Dexter get talking, all manner of fascinating California history tumbles out!
Beer & Baseball
Our friend Joe walks us through the history of beer cans, why some are highly collectable (and others aren’t). And because our guest is a sportscaster, the conversation goes deep into Bay Area football and baseball.