Protecting and Preserving Artifacts
The Demcheck Collection is a new feature at the New Shakespeare Sanctuary. Manager of the Demcheck Estate needed a place where Shakespeare Artifacts might be preserved and appreciated. He found and contacted SSA.
SSA Administrators are already protecting and preserving extraordinary assets at the New Shakespeare Sanctuary featuring over 10,000 artifacts in the SSA Collection of rare and reference books; museum and memorabilia; visual art; and theatre arts archive. Since 2008 over 25,000 visitors from 150 countries and territories have visited the New Shakespeare Sanctuary..
SSA agreed to receive items from the Demcheck Collection and from November 2018 to May 2019, over 300 items in 60 categories of Shakespearean Artifacts arrived. Guests are thrilled to see the Demcheck Collection as a new feature of the SSA Collection.
Many ASSETS in the SSA Collection were Donated to SSA from 1967 to 2006 before relocation from Southern California brought items to the New Shakespeare Sanctuary in Moss Landing in 2008. Since then over 500 books and dozens of artifacts have been donated for display, public program use or resale in the gift shop. And then came the Demcheck Collection…
Variety of small Shakespeare Busts from Demcheck
Memorabilia Donated to SSA from the Demcheck Estate
Decorative containers from the Demcheck Collection
Sample of Royal Doulton Dishware from Demcheck
Anita Rosalind Stark Collection
Donated to Shakespeare Society of America in 2022
Anita Rosalind Stark (née Rothenberg), the child of immigrants from Eastern Europe, was born on September 23, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York. Her middle name was fitting given her love of Shakespeare, lively personality, and quick wit. Anita’s passion for writing started at an early age, and she published her first book of poetry in elementary school.
She was the first woman in her family to attend college, graduating with a BA from Brooklyn College, where she met her future husband Eli H. Stark. They married after Eli returned from serving in World War II. Unusually, Anita continued her education in her 40s, when she completed an MA in Art History.
Anita shared her lifelong appreciation for arts and literature with her four children and eight grandchildren She collected Shakespearean memorabilia throughout her life, which her children generously donated to the Shakespeare Society of America after she passed away days before her 95th birthday in 2022.
Gift from Martin L. Severe
20-02-2021 1:03 pm, Martin L. Severe wrote:
Greetings from Rockville, MD!
My name is Marty Severe and I have been an avid First Day Cover (FDC) collector for well over 50 years.
In my retirement, I go through my personal collections (70K – 80K items) and come up with amazing presentations of philatelic items in which museums, historic sites, galleries, and other organizations around the country may have a unique interest.
In this regard, I learned that your organization has an extensive artifact collection in which this collection could embellish. It is in this regard that I would like to donate my museum quality Shakespeare FDC collection.
It features some very nice items, including some scarce items from seldom seen cachet makers. These are highly-collectible philatelic items and are rich in artistic, educational, and historic value.
This collection includes almost 50 different FDCs Martin Severe
(Member: American First Day Cover Society, American Philatelic Society)
