Starting at the age of seven with stamps, coins and lead soldiers, Mr. French discovered early the joy of building a collection of rare materials. The value of a discerning eye, the importance of careful research, and the consequences of improper care were all lessons learned while accumulating these treasured childhood collections.
A lifelong love of books led him to the rare bookshops in Austin while he was a student atThe University of Texas. Within several years he had put together an impressive collection of first editions of his favorite authors, which is still at the heart of his personallibrary today.
After college he moved to Los Angeles with a focus on a career in the music industry. After a few years in Hollywood he realized his calling was not to the music business but instead to the more rarified world of art dealing: Specifically, popular culture materials. He instinctively understood the meaning and power of cultural ephemera and its significance to Americans' shared experiences. Items such as movie costumes, props from old TV shows, or posters from old movies, never intended to last, could emotionallyconnect people to each other like nothing else. He also realized that much of this irreplaceable material was regrettably destined for the trash bin.
At that time he met James Comisar, a young, ex-TV writer with similar interests in the preservation of America's pop culture. He and Mr. Comisar, who would eventually become the head of The Museum of Television, the world’s largest archive of television sets, props and costumes, worked together to start the Hollywood Memorabilia division of the Los Angeles auction house Butterfield and Butterfield. Mr. French brought to the company a keen awareness of the appeal of the material and an astute eye for its authentication. After learning the nuts and bolts of the auction business, he moved on to the building of his archives and eventually the pursuit of his most special interest:
The American Radio and Television Script Library
...the archives of The TV Hall of Fame.
Since 2001 Mr. French has worked exclusively on the development of The Library.
Following the scripts: Man collects a treasure trove of TV history
By Heather Svokos
29 June 2007
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
From acquisition to cataloguing to conservation to presentation, the costs of maintaining the library and museum are monumental. Add that to design refinement for the final destination of these TV treasures and one does not have to be the Professor from Gilligan's Island to see that the situation is precarious!
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