One of the first steps in calling the Central West End the new home of the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) was moving the inventory to Saint Louis from Miami, Florida. With numerous valuable chess sets, trophies, memorabilia, and furniture, we knew it was going to be a large undertaking. The WCHOF had the help of Al Lawrence, the former executive director, who painstakingly catalogued and photographed every piece of the collection before it was shipped to Missouri. From there, U.S. Art, fine art handlers, meticulously packed all the items and transported everything up to Saint Louis in a climate-controlled semi-truck.
The staff of the World Chess Hall of Fame, along with Al Lawrence, independent curator Larry List, and chess set expert Frank Camaratta with The House of Staunton, were all on hand to receive the inventory. Every item was photographed and a condition report issued before it was placed on the proper shelf for storage. The WCHOF houses a trove of treasures with everything from Bobby Fischer’s chess table and chairs to a Star Trek 3-D chess set, visit the institution often to see the rotating exhibitions and highlights from the collection.
