What’s the importance of memorabilia to a biographer?
It depends on what it is.
In this period of non-hoarding “sparking joy,” collecting, do I need to own anything that belonged to Biddy Chambers?
I thought about this question early in my research gathering.
When I first visited Wheaton College’s Special Collections Library to investigate Oswald Chambers’ papers, I thought I’d only see paper items.
A library would house photos, letters, and personal papers; maybe a diary.
I gave no thought to physical objects like Oswald’s Bible.
When archivist Keith Call rolled out a cart with Biddy’s typewriter on it, I was puzzled.
Why would a library own household objects? Surely a typewriter belonged in a museum?
“Would you like to touch it?”
What an odd question.
I had no idea.
Do I need to touch memorabilia?
I don’t collect things. Too many Navy moves taught me I didn’t need to own items I didn’t use regularly.
But this was the typewriter on which Biddy wrote My Utmost for His Highest!
If Biddy owned a typewriter, she must have been real!
Wouldn’t I like to run my fingers over the keys?
Shrugging, I drew closer. “I don’t really need to touch things they owned,” I tried to explain, sounding pathetic in my own ears. “It’s just an object.”
When I visit museums, I don’t yearn to run my fingers through the jewelry or pick up Native American artifacts.
Just seeing is sufficient.
(Though, now that I think of it, I do own a small pile of pebbles I’ve picked up around the world).
When Keith brought out Oswald Chambers’ Bible, I looked through it and took photos.
I did the same with Biddy’s.
This memorabilia connected with my life, that very Bible had changed my life because Oswald’s ideas came from it.
That book was worth holding in my hands and marveling.
But I didn’t spend a lot of time with Oswald and Biddy’s personal possessions. I examined the notes and the information. I jotted down my impressions.
My imagination provided the rest for my writing projects.
(I did think it odd Oswald gave Biddy a leather purse with her name embossed on it in gold lettering.)
But to each his own. I know Oswald liked to buy his wife hats, too, but there aren’t any at Wheaton College’s library!
Fast forward six years
Recent correspondence with a kind woman from Tasmania, however, sparked a desire for Biddy memorabilia.
My new friend down under wrote to tell me she’d purchased a used book written by Oswald Chambers from Christian Value Books in Christchurch, New Zealand.
To her delight, when she opened the book, she saw Biddy Chambers had inscribed it to a friend.
She included a photo. I recognized Biddy’s handwriting immediately.
To my shock, the inscription also included a signature from Oswald’s favorite sister, Gertrude.
I’d never seen Gertrude’s signature before.
I marveled at the photo and then rose to pace around the house. Biddy mailed packages of books all over the world.
Fancy how many used bookstores on the planet could have copies inscribed to friends by her!
And then the collector’s rush hit me. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a copy of a book Biddy signed? Just one?
Ah, jealousy. I shrugged and let it go.
But I did write a note to thank my Tasmanian correspondent for the photo.
The kindness of strangers
She was one step ahead of me and already had contacted the owner of Christian Value Books.
He returned to his shelves and found another Oswald Chambers book, Knocking at God’s Door.
Biddy inscribed that book to “Mary and Eric with love from Biddy Chambers.”
She sent Knocking at God’s Door to Mary and Eric in 1957.
The kind woman from Tasmania and the bookstore owner in Christchurch made arrangements and sent it to me!
Do I need to own this piece of memorabilia?
No. But I’m so thankful to pass my hand over a book Biddy once held in her hands.
It makes her feel a little closer.
This one book is enough.
My profound thanks to two kind strangers living in Tasmania and New Zealand.
This is the only time I’ve wished my name was Mary.
Tweetables
Biddy Chambers’ biographer owns a book her subject inscribed. Click to Tweet
How much memorabilia does a biographer need to own? Click to Tweet
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