Pelham Memorabilia Collector: Jim Ryan

One of the things that I hoped to discover and create through Portraits of Pelham is not only to document some of the influential members of the Pelham community, but also to recognize and capture some unique and very special individuals.

Jim Ryan is the owner of Ryan’s Auto Body in Fonthill, located just down the hill on Highway 20. Jim is an extremely dedicated and hard working man, and runs a very honest and genuine business here in Pelham. His expertise has benefited hundreds of Pelhaminians (there’s that word again) and his kindness has touched even more.

One of the reasons that I was lead to Jim, and why I wanted to create a portrait and tell his story wasn’t necessarily for his great auto-body shop, but instead, for his fascinating collection of memorabilia.

When you walk in Ryan’s Auto Body, you are immediately taken on a journey to the past. A journey through your childhood. A journey through the west, where the cowboys lived. A journey through the classical cars of the 60’s and 70’s. A Pokies journey through the most popular board games of the 80’s. And, most importantly, you are taken on a journey through Jim’s past.

Every piece that Jim has has a story to it. I was intrigued and overwhelmed with joy, laughter and happiness, as Jim re-told some of his stories to me. One story about a baseball glove that he has from his little-league baseball team that he was on when he was 8, along with the accompanied group-portrait that he still has. Or of the Bentley’s 50th anniversary table-tennis game from the 50’s. I spent over an hour talking with Jim, hearing his stories, and being mesmerized by his collectibles and items.

Jim is a wise man and an even greater storyteller. Next time you have to have your vehicle looked at, visit Jim, and ask him to tell you about some of his stories. You’ll be delighted that you did.

I hope that you enjoy this week’s Portraits of Pelham. Please feel free to see more images from Jim’s portrait session, on my blog.

Bryan