The Collectors
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Friday 3 November 2006
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Being the cataloguer for the National Gallery’s collection isn’t enough to satisfy David’s collecting instincts. He collects micro-miniature, or scale model, bottles and so far has amassed 10,500 of them, and they’re increasing in number all the time. For the type of items that David collects the sayings, ‘Small is beautiful’ and ‘Good things come in small packages’ are so appropriate.
Unlike bottleshop miniatures, micro miniatures were and still are produced to promote breweries, distilleries, wine and soft drink products. The bottles and their labels are perfect replicas of full size bottles, unlike bottleshop miniatures which don’t have caps and necks to scale.
David’s micro miniature bottles are made from a variety of materials, including glass, plastic, silver, Bakelite, ceramic and rubber. The majority of his collection has come from Australia but with the advent of the internet and auction sites, the collection has increased in size by a third in the last 3 to 4 years. The bottles range in size from a maximum 8cm-1cm.
The bottles conceal all types of objects inside. Some bottles include cigarette lighters, bottle and can openers, corkscrews, dice games, matches, fountain pens, pencils, ballpoint pens and even sewing kits.
