[Ok, Jerry. We know you collect cars and enjoy going out for coffee with other celebrities. Same to you, Jay. You’ve got lots of money and a big dick and can afford to spend anything to indulge your rapacious ego. Full disclosure: I drive a 2016 Honda Accord, and you’d need a micrometer to measure my dick. By contrast, celebrity Tom Hanks collects something meaningful and makes it available to the public. Jerry and Jay … get out of The Jungle. You are not Silverback-worthy. Tom … make yourself at home. Have a banana. SB SM]
The Church is pleased to announce an exhibition of important typewriters from the collection of actor Tom Hanks. The exhibition installation has been designed by the renowned creative director Simon Doonan, who has transformed The Church’s extraordinary space into a fanciful home for these magical machines in all their iconic, sadly obsolete glory. The show is open from January 12th to March 10th, 2025.
Hanks hand-picked the 35 typewriters from his collection of more than 300, spanning nearly the full history of the object, presenting an overview of its evolution as well as some charming, surprising innovations. Simon Doonan, the display and exhibition designer par excellence best known as the former Creative Director of Barney’s and for his books and essays on culture and style, is taking full command of The Church’s unforgettable space, designing an installation that is beguiling and playful while also underscoring the importance of the subject.
“This exquisite edit of the typewriter collection of Tom Hanks will delight visitors of all ages.
These machines – strange, complex but also ridiculously simple – have so much to teach us about history and culture. This is why I leapt at the chance to design this installation. My goal is to spotlight the charm, engineering majesty and social/historical aspects of these fascinating artifacts. After all, the soundtrack of the 20th Century is the magical clacking and pinging of a typewriter. Clack, clack, clack … ping!”
— Simon Doonan
Some Typewriters continues The Church’s ongoing foray into the life of things, building off its annual shows that delve into material culture. Prior examples include Re:Cycle – The Ubiquitous Bike in 2023, which explored the bicycle; and Hand Made in 2022, which explored the guitar. The Church’s approach to material culture focuses on form, creative innovation, and whimsy.
Installation photos of Some of Tom’s Typewriters: From the Collection of Tom Hanks Installed by Simon Doonan at the Church, Sag Harbor. Photos by Joe Jagos.
Whee-e-e-e!, says Jay.