I don't know that my story will add much to this conversation, but the subject is one I struggle with. My father's collection is antique machinery of all kinds, mostly large stationary steam, gas and diesel engines. He has always had more skill at acquiring than at storing or restoring. His stuff is everywhere. Some reside at engine shows across the country, much of it fills various storage facilities closer to home. There is no real theme or focus to what he has acquired. He's had sufficient means to do as he pleases, but he's never made the effort to house his collection in any stable way. I'm trying to take inventory of what is where, what pieces go with what, which items are of value and to whom. As an architect I've offered design services to put up a building or to do space planning in order to identify and consolidate and display the things he so cherishes. He's never taken me up on it and he goes blank when I talk about it. The cost of what I consider inaction will someday be great. My brothers and I will sort things out because we're grateful for all he has provided. We respect his passion for machines but none of us can afford to do what he does; moving big machines around endlessly. In short, his machines are already homeless and there will come a time where we have to act fast to get them into the right hands. A pole building along the way would have been a valuable thing. It would give us a place to stage his collection and hang on to some of it. My father is a talented showman, an energetic educator. He has always focused on getting antique machinery out in front of the public. I do wish he would step back and distill; look at what he has and identify the significance of the collection. If there was space to do it I'd be working on a restoration project with him, but the rented roofs are maxed out and the tarps are breaking down. When the tragic day comes I hope I have a better plan for triage than I do at the moment.
