Unique Collector -Eli Leon, collector of quilts and other items

Eli Leon and quilts
Eli Leon and quilts
Eli Leon and quilts
Eli Leon and quilts

Eli Leon and Lemmy. Photo: Courtesy of Eli Leo Living Trust

Eli Leon Collects Unique Textiles

For 55 years, Oakland  psychotherapist Eli Leon collected unusual textiles. Above all,his collection included kitchiana,  aprons, vintage clothing, traditional standard quilts, and, most famously, Afro-tradition quilts. On the one hand,he bought most items in California.  But he would go on repeated research and collecting trips to East Texas, northern Louisiana, and southern Arkansas.

The Sale of the Unique Collection

This June 23- 25, Geneva and Julie Addison will be selling his collections from his home at 5663 Dover St. in Oakland. Above all,the collections are breathtaking. For instance,they are manifestations of a  collector with a sharp eye for acquiring and displaying  in his home. Moreover,proceeds from the sale will go towards Leon’s care. See their blog about the sale, with more than 500 photographs. However, his Afro-tradition quilts are not included in this sale.

At my Quirky Berkeley blog, I explored Leon’s life, home and collections. Here is a small bit of the wonderful  items that will be for sale this weekend. For example,the first weekend of the sale will deal with the non-textile collections. Then,the traditional quilts and other textiles will be sold later this summer. Further,the sale is first come, first served. Subsequently,it represents a perfect chance to pick up some pre-collected quirky material culture and to honor a great scholar and collector.

Most importantly,Leon’s most famous collection is of African American quilts.  However,his trust plans that the collection will be preserved intact by a museum. Furthermore,the collection includes  100 of the traditional American quilts,. Here are a couple photos.

Yellow double weding ring quilt
Yellow double wedding ring quilt
Red Sampler Quilt
Red Sampler Quilt

Above all,Leon was a passionate and driven and skilled collector. In addition,I have never seen a better opportunity for buying quirky little things.  In other words,visiting Leon’s house will give a glimpse into the world of that driven and talented collector.

Quilt collection
Quilt collection
Quilt collection
Quilt collection

Tom Dalzell, a labor lawyer, created a website, Quirky Berkeley, to share all the whimsical objects. The site now has more than 8,000 photographs of quirky objects around town.It also includes  posts where the 30-year resident muses on what it all means.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/05/african-fabrics-in-art-quilts/

By Ann

Ann Baldwin May was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. She received her education from University of California, Irvine (History, BA Elementary Teaching Credential, Masters in Teaching Spanish) Her first quilting class was in 1975. She retired in 2012 after working 30 years as a bilingual teacher and Bilingual Resource Teacher in Watsonville. After making over 300 bed quilts, she turned her attention to art quilts. Ann is passionate about using repurposed materials often from the San Francisco Design Center. She has won several awards for her work. Kaiser Permanente has purchased five pieces for their Santa Cruz County facilities. Her work has been juried into shows all over the country including San Francisco and Chicago. She participates in the juried Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour. She is married and has two daughters. Ann Baldwin May Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St.#4 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 baldwinmay49@yahoo.com 831.345.1466 annbaldwinmayartquilts.com Facebook- AnnBaldwinMayArtQuilts@annbaldwinmay Instagram-annbaldwinmay

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