50 Years Collecting Maine
When a friend asked me recently, “Who’s your longest best friend and when was the last time you’ve seen them?” I got his point… it was time to get to Maine and hang with a guy I’ve known since junior high school- Richard Rydell. When I think of the most critical crossroads in my life, Rick was usually there pointing me to the higher road. A career in design, choice of college, graphic design specialization, going to Italy - he could all see in me before I could. I true angel on my shoulder. Rick has been collecting early American photography and ephemera in Maine for decades. Most of what he collects and resells comes from within an hour of his coastal house in Rockland, Maine. Objects, photos, helmets, paintings, duck decoys all assume a newer meaning when he takes them into his studio and rediscovers or reimagines their individual stories. Sitting in his studio of objects. I was struck by how different our paths have been to arrive at a very similar place, surrounded by curated objects and their stories. No telling where I’d be without friends who can see you better than you can yourself.
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