< Previous40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 HOMEPORT Several handmade sailor’s valen- tines hang in the hallway. Alexander purchased some of these antique art- works, but learned how to make them herself. They’re small art pieces made with hundreds of tiny seashells in a floral design, encircling a picture of a ship or a heart. Supposedly, sailors at sea sent these home to loved ones. The original newel post in the hall, indicative of a Civil War craftsman, has 23½ antique marbles embedded in it: one half of one marble broke off in the 1940s, a former resident of the house told Alexander. The kitchen, although small, is efficient. A large island made from miscellaneous table parts can be used for prep work or sitting to eat or chat. But it’s the butler’s pantry that inspires envy. Part of an add-on to the house, the area is all about storage and dis- play, including a library ladder to reach those high-up spaces. There also is a special hideaway nook for the family dog. Prominently presented on the shelves is a set of bee skeps, which are (Clockwise from top left) Antique sailor’s valentines hang in the hallways in Susan Alexander and Robert Clarke’s house. These small art pieces are made with hundreds of tiny seashells in a floral design, encircling a picture of a ship or a heart; the Baccarat crystal chandelier in the dining room features one signature red crystal. The large medallion above the chandelier is original to the house; the original newel post on the staircase features 23½ antique marbles. Half of one marble broke off in the 1940s, a former resident of the house told Susan Alexander. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 41 (Clockwise from left) The butler’s pantry features a set of bee skeps or domed hives for storage; Susan Alexander and Robert Clarke call their historic house the Bee Cottage by the Sea because of their affinity for bumble bees and the subtle way they incorporate them throughout. domed hives, designed to hold dishes and bee hardware on the drawers. The floors throughout the house all are heart pine, and every other board is stained a bit darker, giving the floor a striped appearance. Upstairs are two more bedrooms decorated with family treasures and handmade collages by Alexander. She made the montage of special items on the vanity mirrors, which relate to her daughters’ interests; they use these rooms when they visit. The couple also recently com- pleted a renovation of the carriage house, which now houses Alexan- der’s office and a small apartment for visitors. It’s decorated in a horse-and- dog theme, with paintings of animals dear to the family. Outside the carriage house are two large mosaics created by Alex- ander, made with tiles, ornaments, Capodimonte porcelain flowers and other special keepsakes and remind- ers of her family. “It is all about the details,” she said. Exquisite Homes Laffite’s Cove, Galveston TX 4227 Fiddler Crab Lane | $1,099,000 13615 Moyenne | $1,119,900 14402 Spyglass Circle | $950,000 3427 Lanyard Place | $1,525,000 New Listing New Listing Sold Sold 281.773.3477 bjennings@greenwoodking.com BET JENNINGS 2022 Real Trends America’s Best Real Estate Pros in Galveston & Texas Specializing in the Pirates communities: Laffite’s Cove, Pirates Cove, Pirates Beach & Pirates Beach West A long-time resident of Laffite’s Cove Director of Laffite’s Cove Board Pirates POA & UTMB Development Board GREENWOOD KING PROPERTIES a place to find your homeCompassionate Guidance in Your Time of Need. E. R. 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Johnson Family Mortuary44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 CURRENTS | COLLECTIONS ‘FUNKY AND UNIQUE’ Islander’s East End cottage houses an eclectic collection of collections story and photos by BARBARA CANETTI R andall Jones is a collector of collections. The Gal- veston resident has a knack for pulling together eclectic items, assembling and grouping them for display in his East End cottage. And this 1868 house is filled with unusual items, each with its own story and history. “I like things that are funky and unique,” Jones said. “But when other people start collecting them, I stop. I just don’t want to continue.” Jones first became interested in collecting objects several decades ago when he purchased some majolica pottery. But he later gave that collection away and moved on to other items. Jones has had a Galveston house since 1972. But in 2004, he found the three-bedroom, two-story cottage. The house (Above) Galveston resident Randall Jones is a collector of all things funky and unique. From arrowheads to uranium glass and everything in between, Jones collects objects he finds interesting, he said. (Opposite) The walls of Jones’ East End cottage are covered floor to ceiling with photos, prints and other objects, including 300 depictions of The Last Supper. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 4546 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 CURRENTS | COLLECTIONS had almost all the things he wanted, which were high ceilings, several rooms upstairs and downstairs, a bit of history and a layout he could work with. The only thing it lacked was an elevator, which would help him con- siderably as he ages at home, he said. Upon entering the cottage, it’s difficult to decide where to direct the eyes. Perhaps the floor, painted in a black-and-white checker- board pattern by Jones’ former award-winning company, Decorative Arts, which he co-owned with Bee Morrow. Or maybe the walls, which are covered floor to ceiling with photos, prints, drawings, sketches, portraits, old Galveston scenes as well as posters, advertisements and 300 depictions of The Last Supper. The front living room serves as the black-and-white photo gallery and fea- tures a photo of portraits of both President George Washington and Robert E. Lee. Jones attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and he honors his alma mater with those images. But he also has photos of New York’s West Point, where his father attended. And there are lots of histor- ical photos of early Galveston and random photos of scenes he likes. The room is decorated with tables and chairs from the old El Morocco nightclub in New York and the desk is from a Loui- siana plantation. His collection of mercury glass sits atop three high glass shelves in a window. The surrounding room features a triple layer of unique and decorative crown molding, which adds a stately air to it. Across the hall in the front parlor is where he hangs paintings, landscapes, lithographs, drawings and etchings, including two large pastels of Jones as a boy and his mother, Mary Ann. He also showcases his Staffordshire col- lection of Cavalier King Charles spaniels, pay- ing tribute to his own dog, 14-year-old Rafe. A pair of horseheads from a Paris meat market sits atop one shelf in the room furnished with antiques from France, Korea and Spain, as well as an old Galveston mansion. The study, a cozy room lined with book- shelves and packed with Jones’ library of his (From top) Randall Jones’ collection of mercury glass and Cavalier King Charles spaniel figurines. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 47 (Clockwise from top) A cabinet filled with glowing uranium or Vaseline glass. The glassware glows bright green under ultraviolet light thanks to uranium oxide in the glass; military statues made from cannon balls; trench art vases created by soldiers during World War I from spent brass artillery shells and other fragments.48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 CURRENTS | COLLECTIONS favorite books, also is where he displays a unique collection of “trench art,” an array of handmade embossed art pieces crafted by soldiers in bunkers during World War I and made from spent brass artillery shells and other detritus of war. Jones has collected vases, ashtrays, a ring and urns created by soldiers during the war as personalized mementos for their loved ones back home. He also has a small collection of military statues made from cannon balls. The room is decorated with more than a dozen mounted pairs of deer antlers and a collection of birds, none of which he killed or captured. The longleaf pine table in the dining room is large enough to seat 12. But it would be difficult to concentrate on a meal. This room, too, is covered in collections ranging from the large shadowbox display cases filled with centuries-old arrowheads, to two lighted cabinets filled with his collection of glowing uranium or Vaseline glass. He also has old “If I see something I like, I will collect them. But I really didn’t plan on living among these collections.” RANDALL JONES (From left) Metal funnels of all sizes hang from hooks on Randall Jones’ porch; circus posters and ads hang on the walls of the guesthouse. and small, all hanging from hooks and a gift from the late Dr. E. Burke Evans, a longtime physician and faculty member of the Univer- sity of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In his kitchen, which he renovated and for which he built extremely high counters and an island to accommodate his tall stature, is a collection of cut glass, another collection of Willow plates and painted plates, as well as hundreds of cookbooks filed away. Jones’ yard is nicely landscaped with a variety of plants, including boxwoods, roses, hibiscus and magnolias. Fountains and stat- ues are placed randomly, including a replica of the Statue of Liberty. And in the far corner of the yard is a small building, which Jones theorizes once was the house’s kitchen. It now serves as a guesthouse, with walls cov- ered with circus posters and ads. “If I see something I like, I will collect them,” Jones said. “But I really didn’t plan on living among these collections.” zinc architectural ornaments from Savannah, Georgia, lights from an old theater’s lobby, and doors from a house in New Orleans. In the small bathroom are two collections: hundreds of tiny pitchers and vases and a lineup of antique bottles found in Galves- ton. And even on the porch, he has made room for collections: metal funnels, large Fill your day with more. 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