Biographic and bibliographic recollections re: collections and contributions

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the role played by collecting in a productive academic career.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is autobiographic and bibliographic recollections about the collecting of advertising books, notes, advertisements, documents and ephemera.Findings – Collecting facilitated diverse forms of activities and academic contributions: many scholarly papers, archives, illustrated presentations, museum displays, documentary films, art gallery shows, theatrical productions, governmental reports, CDs, DVDs, web sites, and much involvement in litigation and regulatory hearings.Research limitations – The scale and variety of results may be limited to domains with a clear public interest and contemporary regulatory activity.Originality/value – The paper offers a unique demonstration of the potential for antiquarian interests and hobbies to be of academic value and public interest.