Keeler Tavern Museum’s American History Lecture Series continues on May 9 at Keeler Tavern

Whether it be seashells such as the gigantic horse conch held by John Jenner in the photo above, or rare antique maps like the ones collected by Joel Third (pictured on the right), the gathering of objects to satisfy a life-long curiosity about the world we live in will be the subject of the next talk in Keeler Tavern Museum’s American History Lecture Series, on Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in the Garden House. General admission is $10 (members $5). Light refreshments will be served following the program.

Both gentlemen have been avid collectors since childhood. John Jenner’s initial collecting instincts led him to the stone fence in front of his parent’s property. He started chipping away at it and soon became fascinated by the garnets embedded in the rock. To this day he still collects crystal specimens as well as butterflies and moths, postage stamps and coins. As an adult he started to collect antiques after realizing that store-bought furniture dropped in value as soon as they got delivered. He called this moment an epiphany, which led him to over fifty years as an antiques collector and dealer. In his professional life John became an engineer with IBM and later taught at Columbia and Cornell before starting his own consulting business. He’s been retired for some time now and lives with his wife and dog in Kent, CT.

Joel Third similarly began to collect at an early age. When he was eight, he got a wooden toy train engine, which prompted him to ask for the train cars that went along with it. He soon became curious about objects in the natural world, including rocks and cactuses. Just like John, his interest in the sciences drove him to study engineering. Joel embarked on a career in the communications field and traveled the world collecting objects of art from every corner of the globe. His passion for antique maps, clocks and instruments of navigation was reflected in his professional life and satisfied his life-long appetite for learning and sense of discovery. Joel Third lives in Ridgefield and has given talks about his varied collections, including Currier & Ives lithographs and Audubon prints.

The Garden House at Keeler Tavern Museum is located at 132 Main Street in Ridgefield, CT. On-site parking is limited. For more information call 203-438-5485 or email info@keelertavernmuseum.org.