Category:
Museums
Museums
German Mousetrap Museum
"This Museum was established in 1990 by the Heimatverein Neroth in the old School House to celebrate the mouse trap making cottage industry that had flourished in Neroth and nearby villages for over one hundred years."
Their German-language homepage.
And as a bonus, here is an incredible collection of mousetrap history books in PDF form.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 01, 2013 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Death, Museums, Technology, Rube Goldberg Devices, Europe
Oyster Growing on a Set of False Teeth
image source: The Strand magazine - 1903
Oysters will grow on almost any surface, including false teeth, if that's what happens to be available. The tooth-growing oyster shown above was found in the Chesapeake Bay in 1898, and sent to the Smithsonian where they were put on display and became quite a popular attraction. But soon a paternity battle erupted around them. The story was told in the Saint Paul Globe (Nov 30, 1902):
Experts of the United States fish commission have made a special study of the conditions under which oysters grow, and, to illustrate the adaptability of the mollusks, they have got together a very curious collection of objects. It comprises oysters growing upon a great variety of things, such as old boots, rubber shoes, beer glasses, and even a lantern. There is a broken bottle inside of which, as well as on the outside, oysters have found a home.
And, oddest of all, there is an upper set of false teeth to which an enterprising oyster is firmly attached.
The history of this last oyster is decidedly interesting. About four years ago it was raked out of the waters of Chesapeake bay by a dredging boat, together with the false teeth to which it was firmly fixed, and teeth and oyster were acquired by a hotel keeper at Cowart, Va., whose wife forwarded them to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington. The matter obtaining some advertisement, a man named Webster, residing in Bedford, Iowa, claimed the teeth, saying that he had lost them from a steamer bound for Norfolk.
The Smithsonian officials were undecided at first as to whether they should surrender the teeth or not, the object being so great a curiosity that they were anxious to hold on to it. But not many days later a Philadelphia woman claimed them, asserting that they were hers, and actually a third party, visiting the institution, demanded them, declaring that he recognized them as having been lost by himself.
Probably, from first to last, a good many persons have lost their false teeth overboard in the Chesapeake, the waters of which are liable to be pretty rough at times. Any way, the government scientists did not care to decide the dispute, and concluded to retain the specimen.
And, oddest of all, there is an upper set of false teeth to which an enterprising oyster is firmly attached.
The history of this last oyster is decidedly interesting. About four years ago it was raked out of the waters of Chesapeake bay by a dredging boat, together with the false teeth to which it was firmly fixed, and teeth and oyster were acquired by a hotel keeper at Cowart, Va., whose wife forwarded them to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington. The matter obtaining some advertisement, a man named Webster, residing in Bedford, Iowa, claimed the teeth, saying that he had lost them from a steamer bound for Norfolk.
The Smithsonian officials were undecided at first as to whether they should surrender the teeth or not, the object being so great a curiosity that they were anxious to hold on to it. But not many days later a Philadelphia woman claimed them, asserting that they were hers, and actually a third party, visiting the institution, demanded them, declaring that he recognized them as having been lost by himself.
Probably, from first to last, a good many persons have lost their false teeth overboard in the Chesapeake, the waters of which are liable to be pretty rough at times. Any way, the government scientists did not care to decide the dispute, and concluded to retain the specimen.
Half a century later, in 1954, yet another guy insisted the teeth were his, but in this case the Smithsonian was able to definitively rule out his claim, pointing out that the guy hadn't even been born yet when the teeth were found.
I'm guessing the Smithsonian probably still has this tooth-growing oyster hidden away somewhere in its archives.
Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Jan 28, 1954
Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 26, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Freaks, Oddities, Quirks of Nature, Museums, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Natural Wonders
La Napoule
According to this LIFE magazine article, art collector Henry Clews had a taste for the bizzare, as seen in the statue above. His French Mediterranean home is now a museum, and you can visit, or even apply for an arts residency there!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 09, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Aliens, Art, Avant Garde, Surrealism, Dreams and Nightmares, Eccentrics, Collectors, Museums, 1950s, Europe
The Wellcome Collection
This might be a museum WU-vies wish to visit when they are next in London.
Home page.
PS: if I shut my eyes and just listen to this video, why do I think I'm hearing the cast of A Hard Day's Night?
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 23, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Body, Skin and Skin Conditions, Eccentrics, Museums, Weird Studies and Guides
Found Footage Festival
Ah, the glorious old days of VHS tapes, when the world was first opened to amateur video! Please visit the website of the Found Footage Festival to see more wonders like the one above.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jan 23, 2011 -
Comments (5)
Category: Museums, Video, Outsider Art, 1980s
La Gaite Lyrique
La Gaîté Lyrique from La Gaîté Lyrique on Vimeo.
Forget Ben Stiller and Night at the Museum. Here's the true weirdness behind the scenes at this new French museum.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 03, 2010 -
Comments (7)
Category: Museums, Surrealism, Cartoons, Europe
Neon Boneyard
Here's a Flickr set from one person's visit.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 15, 2009 -
Comments (1)
Category: Museums, Regionalism, Signage, Advertising
Stupid Punts, Cheesy Bankers and the World’s Wurst Museum!
Meanwhile, in Milan in Italy, the loan-collateral held in the vault at Credito Emiliano is not only protected by inches of steel and high-tech alarms systems, it's also maintained at the perfect temperature and humidity, and turned and cleaned by automated systems to ensure that it keeps its value. That's because Credito Emiliano is offering the local cheese-makers loans of up to 60% of the value of any parmesan cheese deposited with them. With each parmesan wheel worth 300 euros ($400), and local producers typically putting up 2000 wheels in a year in collateral, this has meant the bank has lent nearly 420 thousand euros ($600k) to each customer against the cheese in their vault. Which is gouda news for the local cheese industry (AP).
(Images from Wikipedia.)
Posted By: Dumbfounded - Sun Aug 23, 2009 -
Comments (4)
Category: Business, Crime, Destruction, Museums, Pirates
Banksy Exhibit
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 04, 2009 -
Comments (3)
Category: Art, Museums, Europe
Shark Petting
Shark petting? Shark feeding!
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 06, 2009 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Death, Museums, Nature, Children
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |