“Being normal is vastly overrated,” declared grandma Aggie Cromwell in Halloweentown (1998). Certainly, life has so much to offer: things curious, magical, mysterious and strange. Weird antiques and vintage objects especially are so interesting to us because they’re unfamiliar. What back then perhaps was the norm, today seems peculiar and spooky.
Museum of Curiosities is a place of such wonder, showcasing strange and interesting finds. It’s like opening a virtual cabinet of curiosities. The treasures are shared and curated by Monsieur Pompier’s Travelling Freakshow – an authentic and original group of oddballs that are no amateurs in spooky entertainment. So prepare to be amazed, our dear pandas, as we present to you our third feature on Monsieur Pompier’s Museum of Curiosities!
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This Is Bertha Boronda. Bertha Was Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison For “Mayhem” In 1908
Bertha cut off her husband’s penis with a straight razor and fled the scene by bicycle
Water Damaged Copy Of “Alice's Adventures In Wonderland” Which Grew Fungi. (Photo By Igor Siwanowicz)
Nice of the museum to keep mushrooms in the book so you can actually visit Wonderland.
17th Century Poison Cabinet Disguised As A Book
The Monsieur Pompier’s Museum of Curiosities pages on all major social media platforms are run by a man named Paul, or Monsieur Pompier himself. Bored Panda already spoke with Paul twice before and he was kind enough to tell us about the inspiration behind the museum and about his band, Monsieur Pompier’s Travelling Freakshow.
Paul said in 2022 that he drew inspiration from Dr. Chelsea Nichols’ The Museum of Ridiculously Interesting Things and The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art And National History in London. These museums are not the only ones of their kind. Whether physical or virtual, many similar places exist in many parts of the world, like the museum of curiosities in San Marino. Some of them are even mobile!
Perfume Bottle Consisting Of Eight Glass Bottles As Orange Segments, Set In Painted Ceramic Holder. (Ca. 1925)
Bat Lantern (Circa 1930)
Reusable Shopping List From The 1950s
Monsieur Pompier’s museum is heading toward soon becoming a real-life museum in Dublin, Ireland. A few months back, in June, Paul told Bored Panda that he’s planning to make it a reality sometime in 2024. “Little by little, I see the rooms filling up with all manner of oddities, making me look like something of a hoarder (which I think is a good sign that I’m getting closer to having enough stuff to launch the museum!” he said back then.
The museum is still accepting donations from anyone that wants to help make the physical Monsieur Pompier’s Museum of Curiosities a reality. “You can donate whatever you like – be that money or your own curiosities which you’d like to see featured in the museum!” Paul told us in June.
Rare Set Of 16th Century Italian Notation Knives With Musical Notes Engraved On The Blade, Meant To Be Sung As Grace Before A Meal
In 1963, The Bronx Zoo Held A Unique Exhibit It’s Name Was “The Most Dangerous Animal In The World” And As You Can See From The Picture, The Most Dangerous Animal Is A Human
They used a mirror so people could see their reflection and also added bars to represent a cage.
Ann Lockley Taking Tea With A Baby Hawk And A Lobster
Ann lived on the island of Skokholm, where her family were the only inhabitants and animals were pals. This photo was taken for a 1938 National Geographic story ‘We Live Alone and Like It — On An Island’
Paul also travels all over Europe and Ireland with his musical group Monsieur Pompier’s Travelling Freakshow. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind act that delivers a unique experience. Paul himself describes the group as “a strange mix of dark cabaret, performance art and eccentric psychedelic songs”. All of the songs are written by Paul, Monsieur Pompier himself.
Victorian Era Radiator With Bread Warmer
Self-Defense Glove For Ladies (London, 1850)
World's Smalllest Man In 1956, Henry Berhens, Dancing With His Cat
The performances also feature a group of characters whose names correspond to the song titles on the band’s album. There’s Banana Boy, Guts The Cat, Willy The Wet Pocket, Sally Shortcake and many more. “On stage, I attempt to sing my ridiculous songs whilst the 'freaks' interact with me or the audience as they interpret and act out the story of their individual songs,” Paul told us back in 2022.
Late-1800s Brothel Candles. Wen The Candle Burned Out The Session Was Over
This Russian Family Portrait Was Taken Back In 1886. The Father Had An Obsession With Pool, And Dressed His Children Like Billiard Balls
Myrtle Corbin, Known As The Four-Legged Girl From Texas, Was A Dipygus
She was born with a severe congenital deformity of conjoined twining that caused her to have two separate pelvises and a smaller set of inner legs that she was able to move.
Museums of Curiosities are the successors of the pre-modern version of museums – cabinets of curiosities, or Wunderkammer. As Antonis Chaliakopoulos writes for The Collector, what in 17th century Europe was a way to entertain guests at home after dinner, throughout the years has evolved into the modern museum.
Obstetric Phantom, 18th Century. The Wood And Leather Model Was Used To Teach Medical Students, And Possibly Midwives, About Childbirth
It came from the Hospital del Ceppo in Pistoia, near Florence, founded in 1277
1950s Ovaltine Advert
Chopines Are Platform Shoes That Were Worn By Women In The 15th, 16th And 17th Century
Made with a very tall wooden platform, these shoes protected the dress from mud and street dust. They became very popular in Venice and were worn by noble women and courtesans
A cabinet of curiosities most often included rare antiquities and exotic natural specimens. What makes them different from what we now know as museums was the selection process. Museums today do it on a scientific basis, and back then these private collections were based on an individual’s preferred taste. The most important quality of a curiosity was considered its rarity, and the end goal was to wow your guests.
Painless Dentist
Unlucky
Antique Victorian Crystal Poison Bottle, 1890
What was featured inside such a cabinet of curiosities? That depended on the location of the collector: one in London would have different treasures in his cabinet than another in Amsterdam. The biggest two categories that are now identified are man-made artifacts (artificialia) and natural specimens (naturalia).
Egyptian--Phoenician Glass Dog Head Bead, 6th-4th Century Bc
Tutankhamun Wore Socks With His Sandals
"Winkie" Blinking Eyeball Novelty Ring From 1962
If you stare long enough into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you
The names are more or less self-explanatory, but examples of naturalia would include animals, plants, and minerals. Carcasses of beasts and other weird-looking creatures were considered the most exotic items. However, collectors used to merge different animals together to create the most interesting mythical beasts. That’s why the line between naturalia and artificialia sometimes would get blurred and the classification depended on the collector’s individual decision.
Black Cat Auditions In Hollywood (1961)
This Medieval House In Aveyron, France, Dates Back To The 13th Century And Was Built Top-Heavy As A Cost-Saver, Because At The Time, Homes Were Taxed On Ground-Floor Square Footage
A Neon Salesman's Sample Case, Circa 1935
Examples of artificialia included cultural artifacts, antiquities and artworks. The most popular, however, were scientific instruments. The reason is that sciences, such as medicine and astronomy, weren’t exactly popular back then. Instruments that were used to measure space and time were seen as almost magical and as proof of man’s domination over nature.
Museum In Japan That Showcases Various Naturally Formed Rocks With Faces On Them
Happy Caturday
Corner Piano
The first public museum in England was donated by a collector of curiosities. In 1677, Elias Ashmole donated the treasures he acquired from John Tradescant to the University of Oxford. In 1678, the first public museum in England – the Ashmolean museum – was opened and featured ancient coins, books, engravings, geological and zoological specimens.
The Lava Lamp Inventor With His Wife In 1963
This is Edward Craven-Walker, inventor of the lava lamp. He was a British accountant who, while passing the time in a pub, noticed a homemade egg timer crafted from a cocktail shaker filled with alien-looking liquids bubbling on a stove top. This gave him the idea for the lava lamp. The first lava lamp, the Astro, was introduced in 1963. His invention made him a multi-millionaire. He used his fortune to establish Britain's best-known nudist camp, the District Naturist Center. Craven-Walker also produced nudist movies. (Think of THAT the next time you fire-up your lava lamp.)
This Mannequin Was Designed By Angelique Marguerite Le Boursier Du Coudray During The 1700’s
It was used for teaching midwifery. Madame Du Coudray spent 25 years travelling the towns and cities of France, teaching her methods and selling her mannequins
I've seen a knitted uterus that has been used recently to teach women about childbirth. Being knitted makes it stretchy.
The Retired Heads Of Madame Tussauds
Victorian Era "Ritter" Road-Skates Or Foot Bicycles, Ca 1898
A Knocker-Upper Was Someone Whose Purpose Was To Wake People Up During A Time When Alarm Clocks Were Expensive And Not Very Reliable
They earned about six pence a week using a pea shooter to shoot dried peas at the windows of sleeping workers in East London, 1930s
Carved Ivory And Ebony Skeleton With Gravedigger's Shovel, Dated 1632. State Art Collections, Dresden
The Breastplate Of Cuirassier 19 Years Old Antoine Fraveau, Struck And Killed By A Canonball During Battle Of Waterloo (1815)
Contraption Worn By A Mid-19th Century Women Who Lost Her Nose To Syphilis
Authentic 16th Century Plague Doctor Mask Preserved And On Display At The German Museum Of Medical History
The Old Gentleman Of Raahe Is Believed To Be The Oldest Surviving Diving Suit In The World, Dating Back From The Early 1700s
Egyptian Gold Sandals And Toe Caps Circa 1500 B.c
Past - Present - Future?
Daddy Saddle
Victorian Mourning Ring With Glass Eye Of The Deceased Ca. 1890
Photographer Unknown, Possibly Paleontologist Alfred Romer. Nelda Wright In The Skull Of A Kronosaurus, 1958. Harvard University Archives
This is Australian! A type of short-necked plyosaur. This particular skeleton was discovered in Queensland in 1932 and went on display at Harvard in 1959.
1887, Alice In Wonderland
I really like the costumes they used back then, CGI models don't really have the same charme
Little Richard Doll
To Copyright Their Unique Looks, Professional Clowns Submit Their Likeness To The Clowns International Group, Who Paint Eggs To Match The Hair, Makeup And Costumes Of Each Performer, And Then Files Them In The Clown Egg Register
Horse Costume Taken From Jean Cocteau’s Le Testament D'orphée (Testament Of Orpheus), Designed By Janine Janet, 1960
Rubber “Beauty Masks” Worn To Get Rid Of Wrinkles And Skin Imperfections, 1921
A few hours ago there was the option of commenting and the very useful context about each photo.Can we have this back or shall we move to another site, BP?
Anyone have an alternative site? Preferably without the occasional celebrity gossip...
Load More Replies...What the heck, BoredPanda? Why can't we comment on posts in this listicle anymore?
Scrolled all the way to the comments to ask this very question. The whole point if this site are the comments and interaction!
Load More Replies...Some pretty weird things here but too many images that have been used far too often.
A few hours ago there was the option of commenting and the very useful context about each photo.Can we have this back or shall we move to another site, BP?
Anyone have an alternative site? Preferably without the occasional celebrity gossip...
Load More Replies...What the heck, BoredPanda? Why can't we comment on posts in this listicle anymore?
Scrolled all the way to the comments to ask this very question. The whole point if this site are the comments and interaction!
Load More Replies...Some pretty weird things here but too many images that have been used far too often.