By Anne Semmes
There is a photo this reporter took of the now late Fred Brooks, Sr., art collector with his wife Jane, of extraordinary Chinese ceramic art dating back to the 7th century, that brings Fred back to mind. He’s gazing at a magical Tang Dynasty ceramic camel, surely packed up to traverse that ancient Silk Road. Fred and Jane became smitten by this Chinese art on a trip to Hong Kong nearly 30 years ago.
Their astute collecting would bring some 40 works from the Tang Dynasty to the collection of the Bruce Museum. “Our collection,” Fred had shared, “will give the Bruce a unique and special niche and make it more of a destination. They’ll have the best collection in this field of Chinese art.” His hope was, “this will inspire other collectors to donate. They’ll be in good company.”
“These Tang Dynasty ceramics are very rare indeed,” had agreed Peter Sutton, former head of the Bruce. “Now,” he added, “the Chinese are ferociously collecting these Tang Dynasty ceramics,” He told of how the ceramic camels were often found in tombs. But Brooks appeared to be holding fast to his packed-up camel.
Fred also held fast to his community commitments. He served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for some nine years. In an interview of him nine years ago, he talked of the changes he’d observed from first arriving in Greenwich in 1967. “There’s a lot more traffic. I’m on the Planning and Zoning Commission and we have all these statistics, and the amount of cars has about doubled but the population has not changed. It was 60,000 when I first came and now it’s 61,000.”
Fred had shared his main hobbies and interests: “Politics, finance, public service,” having served also on the board of the United Way, on the Plan Implementation Committee of the Town of Greenwich, and the Republican Town Committee.
But what Fred was most proud of was his “great wife, three great children and seven wonderful granddaughters. And what gave him his greatest joy? “My family.” And what was he looking forward to?” Seeing my granddaughters grow up as fine ladies.”
Fred Brooks looks fondly at his Tang Dynasty ceramic camel packed as if headed for the Silk. Photo by Anne W. Semmes
