as a pharmacist, I became a collector of related memorabilia, whether mortar and pestles or prescription log books of old. Many years ago we were walking along Boston Common, and came across a pharmacy that was going out of business. In its window was a sign that read " longest operating pharmacy in United States. I went in and wound up buying three bound books having prescriptions listed along with price and name of the recipients. The cloth bound books weighed 5 pounds each and dated back to 1771. When I brought them home I started to peruse them, and much to my surprise I see the names of Paul Revere, John Hancock, and many family members of the Adams family. I stored them away until I became a professor at a university that had a college of pharmacy attached. I donated the volumes along with the ancient compounding necessities that I had purchased and that is when I became the curator of the newly started museum. My accountant told me to fill out approximate value for my return, and believe or not, IRS told me I understated present value. A total win win deal for all.
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Alan Levine AIA
Alexandria VA
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