Author(s): Philipp Blom

History

History of Collectors and Collecting. From amassing sacred relics to collecting celebrity memorabilia, the impulse to hoard has gripped humankind down the centuries. But what drives people to possess objects they do not use? To Have and to Hold is a captivating tour of collectors and their treasures from medieval times to the present, including a Tsar's display of teeth, a cabinet containing unicorn horns, the macabre art of embalmer Dr Ruysch, the fabled mansion of Randolph Hearts, and then men who stockpile food wrappers and plastic cups. Blom's eccentrics, visionaries and fanatics all provide an engrossing insight into why a pastime becomes an all-consuming passion.