Treasure chest

Carl F. Lander Jr.'s treasure trove of historical articles ranges from the obscure to the ordinary.

Among his collection are:

An assortment of legends and old Valentines. His oldest Valentines date back to the beginnings of the 20th century.

Bibles, including one dating to 1769; a family Bible created for the centennial of the United States and a woodblock printed Bible illustrated by Gustave Dore (1832-1883), a French artist who illustrated more than 100 books, including Dante's 'Divine Comedy' and Milton's 'Paradise Lost.'

Flags, such as one from the Civil War and another measuring 6 feet by 12 feet which features the Victory star for every member of the Knights of Templar, McKeesport, that served during World War II.

Lander owns 75 books by Albert Hubbard, a lecturer, writer and philosopher who drowned when the Lusitania, a British steamship was torpedoed by a German submarine on May 7, 1915. The ship sank in less than 20 minutes. Hubbard's books are hand printed and hand illustrated.

A collection of hymn books and sheet music for piano and organ. Lander, who plays piano and organ, collects them for not only the music, but also the artwork on the front covers.

Old engravings and type used in the printing industry, some of which predates the Civil War.

Encyclopedia sets. The oldest set Lander has in his possession dates to 1795 and is leather bound. The set originally came from Princeton University.

Lander owns a grand piano made of teak wood that was produced in 1865. He also has a parlor organ, circa 1865, made of walnut and a small four-octave portable organ that was used on the battlefields by a chaplain during World War I. The organ is as big as a suitcase and still works.