Reviews
Possession: The Curious History of Private Collectors from Antiquity to the Present by Erin Thompson
peristasis547's review
informative
reflective
3.25
idk it's very centred around english collectors would have been interesting to see some other countries as well
collismeanshill's review against another edition
informative
sad
medium-paced
3.5
I’ve never been a fan of collecting for collecting’s sake, and this book does nothing to make me think better if it. It did, however, make me rethink the antiquities (and presumed antiquities) found in museums around the world — and the forgeries, looting, and outright theft that have gone into filling them throughout time.
Will I stand with a little less awe in front of my favorite Athena in battle helmet sculpture next time? Perhaps. Is that really such a bad thing? Not really, I’d rather know the whole truth.
Will I stand with a little less awe in front of my favorite Athena in battle helmet sculpture next time? Perhaps. Is that really such a bad thing? Not really, I’d rather know the whole truth.
maybehannahsmith's review against another edition
3.0
Read like a Ph.D dissertation, could be repetitive and dry, other parts were fascinating.
giovannigf's review
5.0
While it's depressing to learn about the abuses of our cultural heritage by private collectors, the anecdotes the author shares are fascinating and often surprisingly funny. My favorite is the one about Henry Blundell boasting that he bought a statue of Hermaphrodite and had its penis cut off to make it a sleeping Venus. *cringe*
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