The irony of owning hundreds of instruments you cannot play
In short: This 1979 Nationwide segment captures a peculiar human contradiction: Reuben Reubens, a man who amassed a massive collection of banjos but lacked the skill to play a single note. It is a charming look at the difference between curation and mastery.
The video features Reuben Reubens, an avid collector whose home houses hundreds of banjos. Despite his dedication to gathering these instruments, he admits he has never found the time to learn how to play them. To provide some musical context for the collection, Nationwide arranged for a skilled player, Dave Firth, to demonstrate what the instruments are actually capable of producing.
Originally broadcast on BBC One on March 28, 1979, the clip serves as a nostalgic window into the era of 'Nationwide' television. It highlights a specific type of hobbyist passion where the joy of acquisition outweighs the pursuit of technical proficiency.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 1979: Bad Banjo Player, Great Banjo Collector | Nationwide | BBC Archive
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