Page 25 - The Hunt - Spring 2020

The Collector
Jim Sinclair has been a well-travelled musician most of his life, performing with the likes of Carl Perkins, Gordon Lightfoot and Dr. John. But to fully grasp the range of his interests, you need to get past the front door of his Chester County home.
BY ROGER MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM GRAHAM
In an earlier life, James “Sparks” Sinclair’s mastery of the pedal steel guitar made him a hot commodity in the music world. (Opposite page) Sinclair at home in Chester County.
Like many others, Jim Sinclair worked his way through Ken Burns’ acclaimed eight-part Country Music documentary series this past fall
on PBS, though his interest was perhaps a bit more focused than your average music fan. “There were literally dozens of musicians in the documentary I knew and worked with,” he says. “It was bittersweet in many respects.”
Sinclair was transported back to his early 20s—“a journey of several decades, playing country music with great musicians I had the privilege of working with and spending time with,” he says.
The series featured “I’ve Been Every-where, Man,” a song made famous by Johnny Cash. Sinclair once made a movie with Cash, and the tune neatly encapsulates the seasoned guitarist’s journey to date. “You can do more than just one thing in your life,” says Sinclair. “It’s like a bee going from flower to flower.”
Like most people who travel and have varied interests, Sinclair has made it a habit of returning to his southern Chester County home with
souvenirs. In many cases, what began as a handful of stuff blossomed into bona fide collections Sinclair now curates on his own. His passion for collecting was sparked by a youthful fascination with military decorations on the service uniforms of relatives who’d returned home after World War II. He still has them today, along with dozens of other patches he acquired later. He
also collects Delaware spoons and porcelain, toy cannons, classic cigar bands, family mementos, signed celebrity photos, and more.
The eighth-generation Chester County resident has woven most of these collections into the decorative fabric of his family’s warm and spacious farmhouse located just east of the crossroads town of Willowdale. Parts of the home date back to the early 1700s, and when he walks from room to room, Sinclair is very much the knowledgeable tour guide.
Most impressive is his collection of uniforms once worn by the highest-ranking military heroes of the Soviet Union, including Stalin. “It’s the most complete collection outside of Russia,” he says.
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