These marbles are over a century old; they are not mine, but rather my grandfather Tom’s. My grandfather was born in 1943 amidst the second World War. Growing up in the 40s and 50s - the decade of transformation and fear followed by the “happy days” - he saw a lot of our nation’s trials and tribulations. Even so, he tried to maintain some semblance of a normal life. Though, when he was still young, my grandfather developed a knack for collecting. He collected anything that piqued his interest, ranging from quarters to vintage lighters. Yet, it was the marbles that he valued the most. He played marble games, but was always intrigued by the color combinations and arrangement of displays. I think he found marbles to be quite aesthetically pleasing. He started off by naturally collecting them just from playing the game alone, but as he got older and outgrew the playful aspect, he began to appreciate the beauty of them. He would find marbles of different size, type, materials, and color schemes. When I was little, I would be mesmerized by the marble jar. I was too young to understand the passion of collecting or the value of the marbles. I just thought it was a cool display my grandparents liked to keep in their living room. Out of all the trinkets and rare items my grandfather kept, the marbles spoke to me the most. When my grandfather passed away in 2016, he delegated all of his special items to certain family members. He gave us his paintings, his lighter collection, and his marbles. Knowing the history now, I appreciate the marbles more than I ever could as a child.

– Morgan

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