Fabulous Bartlett Sale

Ron Brister Estate

This sale is the estate of Ron Brister former manager of collections for the Memphis Pink Palace Museum. For 37 years under Brister's tenure the museum collection grew from exhibits housed in a few rooms at the original home of Piggley Wiggley founder Clarance Saunders into what is today the heart and home to Memphis history. Five decades ago, Brister started as a volunteer at the museum under curator of education Roger Van Cleef, working with native American artifacts  after his graduation from University of Memphis. in 1971 he was hired full time where he spent his entire career caring for the natural history of Memphis, Shelby County, and the entire Mid-South region. From prehistoric fossils, to tools and pottery of early cultures Civil War relics, mastodons, giant mossasaurs, rare rocks and gemstones, rare oddities like a shrunken head and Elvis's uniforms. Brister curated the  eclectic collection that spans every era.  You won't want to miss this opportunity to explore his estate — a window to our past and a treasure trove of his interests in biology, archaeology, geology and history.