Mark and Tina Nash started collecting antique Bermudiana determined to one day put it all on show.

Almost ten years later they’ve amassed about 1,000 pieces of Bermuda-inspired memorabilia. The collection will go on display at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art this autumn.

Residents will have the chance to see photographs, souvenir booklets, paintings, fine china, jewellery and locally created Gleeson dolls.

Many of the items, particularly the china, were produced overseas, but each piece is significant as it showcases popular tourist scenes of the time.

“We started putting together this collection over the past ten years and we feel we have a lot of very special pieces,” said Mr Nash. “Much of it shows Bermudian culture that will really connect people to each piece. We have an ashtray from the 21 Club. People may look at that and think, ‘I went there’ or ‘My grandfather worked there’. So it really will have that connection for people.”

They decided to donate the items to Masterworks because it “felt like the best match”, Mrs Nash said.

The collection is currently on display at Ashley House, their Paget home. One of the first built in the parish, its original structure is believed to date back to 1650.

Frequent Bermuda visitor and well-known American Impressionist William Chadwick painted it in 1922. The work will be donated to Masterworks’ collection.

“The painting is something that Masterworks is really excited about,” said Mrs Nash. “It’s a very special piece.”

The exhibit will be displayed in the museum’s library.

“We were very excited when the Nashs approached us and were amazed at the level of what they were donating,” said Masterworks founder Tom Butterfield. “We are fortunate to be the recipient of this collection from people who have a huge passion for Bermuda and this collection speaks to the universal acceptance of Bermuda as an international tourism destination. Each piece tells a story about someone wanting to have a souvenir to maintain their memory of coming to Bermuda.”

About 80 of Marie Gleeson’s handmade banana leaf dolls are part of the collection. There are also three brass dinner bells created in the early 20th century to resemble Sally Bassett, a slave burnt at the stake for allegedly attempting to poison her master’s wife.

Local shops such as Godet & Young commissioned several pieces of the fine china in the collection; others were produced by Wedgewood and Royal Winton china.

Many of the Bermuda scenes depicted on the china no longer exist such as the hotel Frascati and a Bermuda crest in use from about 1840 to 1914.

“I think a lot of pieces will resonate with older Bermudians, but I think some younger people may see something that their grandmother may have worn or had in her house,” said Mrs Nash.

“Mark surprised me with an antique map we had seen in Dockyard and the obsession started from there. It started with collecting maps then moved to postcards and tablecloths. It was sort of realising that all of these things were overseas and not here for us to enjoy. For us it was a real love of Bermuda.”

Mr Nash added: “Part of it has been the joy of hunting. We would make special trips to Boston and throughout New England and the hunt was part of this journey.

“Not long after eBay started I got in at what I call its renaissance — when it opened up the opportunity for people to sell all of this stuff. So we were able to get a lot of this back when people started cleaning out their grandmother’s attic. Now it would take about 30 years to buy all of this on eBay.”