6o 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



February, 19 13 



View of the entrance hallway 



The library contains precious volumes and antiques 

 cated bargaining lections formed dur- 

 and dickering that ing the course of 

 add zest to the col- many happy, enthu- 

 lector's pursuit. Oc- siastic years. The 

 A corner in the drawing-room casionally a treas- character of the in- 

 ure has been discovered and obtained so easily that it terior of the interesting house here illustrated is indicated 

 seems to have been placed in sight to catch the eye of literally at the threshold, for the doorway between the tall 

 some one who would succumb most readily to its charms; brown stone pillars opens into a hallway adorned with a 

 but your true collector will tell you that those things seem profusion of beautiful objects from many lands — objects 

 almost always most precious which have been procured in dating from many different periods. The Drake house, 

 anxious moments of doubt as to whether or not the object like so many New York homes built fifty or sixty years ago, 

 would become his own. However much oftener a find will is planned with two broad and deep drawing-rooms which 

 be the result of a long search undertaken merely upon are connected by wide folding doors. Back of these large 

 the slightest information which might lead to success. So rooms, into which it opens by an archway, is the dining- 

 it happens that a house filled with beautiful objects sug- room, occupying the entire width of the lot on which the 

 gests, as in the case of the home of Mr. Drake, a vast house is built. These spacious old rooms, with their lofty 

 number of interesting and wholly different experiences in ceilings, fine old woodwork, and stately chandeliers, are the 

 collecting. The collector who is really careful and dis- background for a wonderful arrangement of old furniture, 

 criminating also finds, very often, treasures in the antique pictures, tapestries, glass, and many forms of copper, brass, 

 shops, objects sent in, perhaps, by some agent of the deal- and other metals, together with pottery, carvings, and other 

 er's living in some remote corner of the earth. So elusive treasures, the mere cataloguing of which would require a 

 are the treasures particularly loved by scholarly antiquari- book. While most antiquarians pay a certain devotion to 

 ans that many instances are recorded of such objects having one or two forms of collecting, there are very few fields in 

 been carefully placed in hiding places of their own, to be which Mr. Drake has not journeyed far, and his unerring 

 discovered by chance years afterward. This, perhaps, is knowledge of the unchanging laws of beauty and the history 

 another reason why the collector loves to rummage around, and practice of the applied or liberal arts has resulted in 

 always holding to the hope of finding something dear to his the wonderful array of art in the various and numerous 

 heart in out-of-the-way crannies. forms here assembled. But the owner of even the most 

 If Mr. Drake were asked to point out the royal road to comprehensive collection has a few branches in which he 

 forming a collection, he would probably reply that no such takes particular interest, and Mr. Drake's home is most 

 route exists, for to-day, even with unlimited expenditure, famous for its brasses, bandboxes, glass, icons, and sam- 

 the forming of a collection is a matter of good taste and piers, with which might be included the models of ships 

 judgment. The true collector is not a mere gatherer of which have long ago outgrown the space available in his 

 things, but studies the things he collects, and then derives home, actually requiring storage here and there. In the 

 from them that mental pleasure the exercise of which is hall of his house are several models of antique ships of dif- 



after all the foundation ferent nations and of 



of the true collecting divers periods of his- 



instinct. Whatever one tory. Their being 



has to spend on his placed in this particular 



hobby, his success with spot may be said to 



it greatly depends upon symbolize arrival and 



the accuracy of the departure — of welcom- 



knowledge he has of ing the coming, and 



his field with its con- speeding the departing 



stantly varying condi- guest. The walls of the 



tions. Mr. Drake prob- hallway are covered 



ably regards collecting with beautiful old paint- 

 as of even greater im- ings and fine prints, and 



portance or interest against the walls rest .& 



than actual ownership, old carved chests, cof- 



for he has been known fers and chairs. The 



to dispose of great por- two large drawing- 



tions of his treasures rooms are fitted with 



A millefleur tapestry from time to time, col- woodwork painted a Carved cabinet and old brazier 



