Tallowood Talking

When Gerald Ray bought the first nativity set of his collection in 1974, he didn’t realize what he was getting into.  Today, the collection that Ray and his late wife, Trevelyn, accumulated, numbers at 332.  Many of the nativities are on display at Tallowood in five cases located in the enclosed hallway by the chapel.  While members and guests enjoy them year-round, they are a special treat for visitors who attend Tallowood for the first time at Christmas.

Ray distinguished himself as the creative Music Minister at Houston’s First Baptist Church for 28 years.  It was there that he and Trevelyn first displayed their collection in 1976.   The Rays displayed their growing collection in a large brass case in the foyer for the crowds to enjoy while they waited to enter the popular annual pageants.  

“People couldn’t get tickets and they were waiting in the foyer,” he explained.  “They would sometimes be waiting an hour or an hour and a half.  People would just flock to the nativity case and  it became sort of a ministry to people while they were waiting to go into the pageant.”

After Ray retired in 1998, he and his wife joined as members at Tallowood.  Soon thereafter, the nativities  were  displayed each Christmas at Tallowood.  This year, however, they have been on display year-round.  Usually it takes about four days for a group of four to five people to unpack and display the nativity scenes.  Each is scene is labeled with a card that describes is material and country of origin.

Gerald and Trevelyn found this set in Hyderabad, India in 1986. The set is hand-carved from soapstone, which has a noticeably smooth texture. Ray says he particularly likes the feel and intricate carving of this set. Furthermore, the set is rare as it comes from India.

Much of the collection is nativities from foreign countries. The Rays acquired many of their nativities during travels around the world.  Ray says that he and his wife visited all of Europe, much of Asia, and parts of South America.  When they traveled, they kept an eye out for nativity sets.  One interesting aspect of the nativities is they often show characteristics of their culture of origin.  “Everyone interprets these in their own style,” he said.  “They put Jesus in their culture.” 

Beyond collecting sets from many different cultures, Ray focused on finding sets with unique character — he says this is the key to a good set.  “We wanted to get all different mediums, whether it was metal, or leather, or glass,” Ray explained.  He continued to describe the features that make a nativity stand out.  “When you’re looking at quality,” said Ray, “you look at the face, the hands, and the eyes. You look a the detail.  The cheap ones have none of that [detail].” 

Ironically, this year the best sets are in Ray’s garage.  They were displayed in two cases located in the narthex, but he had to pack them away when the floor in the entry area was repaired.

This set is made of clay and originates from a village in Peru with a soil condition that affects the inhabitants. The figures resemble the physical condition of the villagers. Each figurine has greatly enlarged hands and feet and swollen joints.

Ray estimates all the sets together are worth about $70,000, conservatively.  However, the collection has a value that is worth much more than money. 

“The goal is to build Christmas spirit around the birth of Christ,” said Ray.  “The collection is for people.  It’s for people and children to enjoy.  It’s for other people, not for us”