The Metropolitan Museum of Art is known for its period rooms; an 18th century dining room from London and a living room designed by Frank Lloyd Wright are just a few examples of the many rooms on display there. They’re meant to show “how people lived”, even though the rooms...
There is a saying that “if something exists in a variety of types, sizes, shapes or colors, you can be sure that somebody, somewhere, collects it.” In a world awash in material goods, it is pretty difficult to not be a collector. And I applaud anyone who doesn’t collect anything,...
In case you’ve never heard of a magic lantern, let me tell you. That’s why I’m here. The earliest known slide projector, Laterna Magica as it is sometimes called, dates all the way back to the seventeenth century when a German Jesuit first wrote about directing a light through a...
Today is Columbus Day, but forget that shit and take a minute (or two) to learn about L’anse aux Meadows. Located at the northernmost tip of Newfoundland in Canada, this World Heritage Site is the only known Viking settlement to be found in North America. Estimated to have been established...
Ever heard of bauxite? Apparently it’s the main source of aluminum. And there’s actually a town in Arkansas named after it, which is appropriate considering that’s also the state where you can find the Gann Museum. Built in 1896 as the medical offices for Dr. Dewell Gann Sr., it is...
Tonight is the 85th Academy Awards aka The Oscars aka The Big Night For The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences aka These Are The Stupid People Who Gave An Oscar To Gwyneth Freakin’ Paltrow. Anyway, long before Hollywood was Hollywood, it was a citrus ranch. In 1895, a...
The Museum of Fairground Art (Musée des Arts Forains) in Paris hosts an excellent collection of old fairground equipment & attractions from the historic period of 1850-1950. It all started thirty years ago when Jean Paul Favand, an actor and antiques dealer, began collecting objects from fairgrounds and the entertainment...
History’s first push-up bra, dating back to 1880, was on display for the first time last year at London’s Science Museum. In the 19th century only wealthy women could afford such luxuries as brassieres were considered quite rare. Most women wore corsets. Not until an appearance in Vogue in the...
I don’t know where you are in the world, but where I am it’s been raining all week, which means it’s officially autumn. But it also means something else. It’s officially October so I can begin my annual tradition of telling you about spooky museums and attractions and things. And...
Sorry for the limited amount of posts lately. After three years I’m about ready to give up on this tumblog. Just not feeling it lately. But before I take my sabbatical, we have to celebrate the tradition of creepy and weird and scary things as we usually do in the...
