Collection Detail

 

Harvard graduate Richard Calusdian may have served as the head of the physics department of local college Bridgewater State University, but the collecting hobby he undertook in his spare time was treated with the same level of gravitas as those afforded general relativity and quantum mechanics.

Calusdian started collecting coins in the 1950s, which was followed by stamps, and then book collecting (with a focus on Mark Twain). Calusdian then rediscovered his childhood love of comic books. While those who knew him may have described him as reserved, his collection clearly shows his love of childhood nostalgia and pop culture that went along with it.

A local Massachusetts collector who frequented antique and collectibles shows, he narrowed his collecting to the Massachusetts area, amassing an impressive and diverse collection over the decades. Calusdian attended the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets for 25 years, picking up many treasures there from dealers and other collectors. His attention to detail drove him seek out items in the very best condition he could find.

Some of his other interests included baseball (he was a longtime Boston Red Sox fan), comic strips, tin toys, Golden Age comic book superheroes (including Fawcett’s Captain Marvel), BLBs, artwork and Donald Duck (particularly those tales created by Carl Barks). Focusing on items from the 1920s through the 1940s, Calusdian dabbled a bit in 1950s items, but not much beyond that.

We are pleased to offer items from the Richard Calusdian Collection in this auction.

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