Fay and Geoffrey Elliott have always been interested in books, and by the time they moved to Bermuda from New York 13 years ago they had acquired an extensive collection.

In addition, Mrs. Elliott had owned an antique book store in that city for many years. While their interest in art developed much later than their interest in books, it was no less profound, and over time they amassed a fine personal collection of original works, including icons and sculptures.

Thus, when the opportunity arose to purchase the Thomas Driver collection of Bermuda watercolours from a private individual in London, they did not hesitate because they so loved their new Island home that they wanted to do something special for its people.

"There were approximately 60 watercolours and sketches in a kind of album, which Driver carried around. They were all in very good condition, and several had numbers on them, so we decided to purchase them for Bermuda," Mrs. Elliott says.

At the same time the couple acquired two historic oils for the Bermuda collection - purchases which marked a turning point from which they have never looked back. Today, the number exceeds 200, and shows no signs of abating.

"We just got interested and couldn't stop," they confess.

Specialised dealers in London are now on permanent alert to inform the couple when "anything Bermudian is around", and Mrs. Elliott says: "We like to think that they come to us first."

With the purchase of the first Driver album, the Smith's Parish residents wanted to know more about the artist, so they began researching his history.

"Our first big breakthrough was discovering that Thomas's brother Hal was a published poet in the early 19th century, and that the family eventually donated a lot of the family letters and art to Cambridge University Library," Mrs. Elliott says. "We went to see them and got copies of the letters. Thomas Driver's letters were in Hal's collection, so then we knew about his father, mother and brothers. Driver's father was a perfumer in Cambridge, and Thomas had a job in London but then he got the wanderlust and went to Spain on his way to Bermuda and the Caribbean."

While Mr. and Mrs. Elliott never know what will come on to the market, or when, past experience has taught them that life is full of pleasant surprises.

Approximately two years after their initial Driver purchase, an oil painting came up at auction which turned out to be a self-portrait of the artist which he had sent to his mother from Bermuda, along with a letter. The Elliott's purchased that painting also.

"We found a copy of the letter Driver wrote his mother because he hadn't seen her for many years, and in it he said he hoped she would think that he was healthy, as indeed he was," Mrs. Elliott says.

Subsequent purchases have included watercolours by Flag Captain (later Sir) Michael Seymour of HMS Vindictive, as well as watercolour and gouache paintings by Lieutenant-General Gaspard Le Marchant Tupper, which are in the English school style.

In the absence of photography, 19th century military and naval personnel were trained to paint or sketch scenes encountered in their travels whose identifying landmarks would be useful to future arrivals in unfamiliar territory, and also to make coastal profiles for cartographic purposes.

At the same time, military officers commonly kept journals and personal diaries, information from which has proved useful for historians and archivists. Captain Seymour's, for example, provided background information on his watercolours for last year's exhibition at Commissioner's House entitled 'Cruise of the HMS Vindictive on the North America and West Indies Station, 1845-1848'.

Once the Elliotts had acquired several Seymour paintings, a dealer proved instrumental in helping them to buy more.

"One of the people who helps us was watching the Antique Road Show on British television and saw a lady coming in with watercolours to show the experts," Mrs. Elliott relates. "They didn't know what they were, but the dealer recognised them immediately because he dealt with them, so he got in touch with the lady through the show's producer and we ended up buying them. They were in very good condition too."

Their most recent purchase was a photograph of Sandhurst-educated Colonel Edmund Gilling Hallewell, whose fine set of panoramic lithographs of Bermuda are well-known here.

"The photo was taken during the Crimean War by Roger Fenton, a well-known Victorian photographer who also photographed Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and we discovered it in a photography sale in an obscure auction house," Mrs. Elliott says.

To date the couple have purchased an estimated 220 Bermuda-related paintings and photographs, which by any measure is extremely generous, yet they remain modest, stressing instead that the collection is "not ours but Bermuda's".

They admit, however, that they are delighted with the way their gifts have been received.

"The sense is that this is a good Bermuda community team effort. Everybody is interested and involved, both in Commissioner's house and our art collection. It all works together," Mr. Elliott says. "We find most of the art, and archivist Karla Hayward does a very, very good job keeping the pictures together and making sure they are in good shape.

"Clarence Maxwell has also been very involved with the collection, and it has been done beautifully. If it wasn't for them, Charlotte Andrews and John Adams, none of this would be possible. Everyone pitched in because they were interested, which has been great for us and great for Bermuda.

"We also think that Commissioner's house is a terrific setting for this kind of historical work, and they have done a tremendous job getting the building together. It is a great credit to Ed Harris, who has all kinds of ideas for further exhibitions. I think the more stuff that goes into Commissioner's House the more it is going to look good, and historic."

(In addition to writing the catalogue text, former Government Archivist John Adams selected the drawings, watercolours, lithographs and printed books included in the 1996 exhibition jointly organised by the Bermuda National Gallery and the Bermuda Government Archives and entitled 'Through British Eyes: Images of Bermuda 1815-1860').

The public's interest in the Bermuda collection exhibitions at Commissioner's House gives Mr. Elliott great pleasure.

"I enjoy watching people looking at the paintings," he says. "Bermudians really love to look and say, 'That's my granny's house;' 'I know where that is;' or 'Isn't that Dolly's Bay?' and so forth."

Commenting on the special, temperature- and light-controlled room at the Ireland Island facility which bears their name, Mr. and Mrs. Elliott explain this came about because, in donating the valuable collection to the people of Bermuda, they stipulated that it should not be hidden away but exhibited for everyone to enjoy. In the interests of preservation, however, the paintings cannot be left up continuously, so selective works are exhibited on a rotating basis.

Before the paintings were donated the couple also took great care to ensure that they were correctly framed.

"We had them all conserved, matted and mounted, and Karla gave us guidance on what to do for their preservation," Mrs. Elliott says. "When they decided on an exhibition Karla and Bermuda Maritime Museum curator Charlotte Andrews chose the mattes and frames. We have also tried to standardise the frames so that we can recycle them."

Asked if they had any favourites among their many purchases, Mrs. Elliott says: "We are very fond of Driver because we started with him, and that is the show that is on right now at Commissioner's House."

With approximately 220 paintings now donated, it could reasonably be assumed that the Elliotts have done their bit for Bermuda art, but they disagree.

"As long as the stuff is around we will continue to collect it," they assure. "It is fascinating."

'The West Indies Views of Thomas Driver' exhibition now in progress at Commissioner's House will continue through April 30. For full details see today's Bermuda Calendar or ( 234-1418.