[TheForge] Help Save part of the Sorber Collection

[RICK KORINEK]

Dave, Is there any way that the Metal Musuem and ABANA 
could "work" with the Sorber Family and the auctioneer ahead 
of the auction to put together a representative grouping of 
items that the musuem would agree to purchase at a set 
price.  Then these items could remain available to the public.
-Rick

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 23:50:40 -0600
>From: magichammer <dave at magichammer.net>  
>Subject: [TheForge] Help Save part of the Sorber 
Collection   
>To: TheForge <TheForge at mailman.qth.net>
>
>*Help Save Part of the Sorber Collection*
>
>As many of you already know, the Sorber Collection of Early 
American 
>Ironwork is going to be auctioned off on May 13, 2005. 
Pieces from this 
>collection can be seen in the book, "Colonial Wrought Iron" 
by Don 
>Plummer, and even in the classic "Early American Wrought 
Iron," by 
>Albert H.Sonn. For blacksmiths, this is bad news.
>
>When the Sorber auction was first announced, Dave Mudge, Don 
Plummer, 
>LeeAnn Mitchell, Jim Wallace, Brian Gilbert, Clare Yellin 
and others 
>started passing around emails trying to figure out some way 
for 
>blacksmiths to pool their resources to buy at least some of 
this 
>collection. There is no way that we would be able to come up 
with the 
>money to buy even a single lot,since this collection has 
been valued at 
>over a million dollars. And since the auction house is going 
to try to 
>do it all in a single day, they are probably going to have 
to put 
>anything remotely affordable into large lots,like fifty 
Pennsylvania 
>thumb latches.
>
>So what has happened is that Jim Wallace, Director of the 
Metal
>Museum in Memphis, Tennessee has agreed to help out by 
setting up a 
>special donation page and account to buy, hopefully, at 
least some of 
>the Sorber Collection. If we are unsuccessful, then the 
money will go to 
>the Metal Museum, so no matter what happens, donations will 
be used to 
>preserve ironwork.
>
>It is our personal hope that we can raise enough money to 
create a 
>travelling exhibition, but that's a pretty tall order. Those 
of you who 
>remember the Sorber exhibitions at the ABANA Conferences in 
La Crosse, 
>Wisconsin and Asheville, North Carolina might understand the 
value of an 
>exhibit.
>
>If you are interested in donating to this project click   
>http://www.metalmuseum.org/donations.htm
>
>Act now... we've only got until May 13th to keep some prime 
source 
>material available to blacksmiths around the country. Thanks 
in advance 
>for your help!
>
>
>-- 
>No virus found in this outgoing message.
>Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
>Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.4 - Release Date: 
3/18/2005
>
>_______________________________________________
>Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>theforge mail list group photo site is
>http://www.photoaccess.com
>Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>password:  anvil
>___________
>
>
Rick Korinek
Emerald City Forge
46 Joseph Road
Framingham, MA  01701
508.320.7425