Two-faced memento mori ring, 17th century

Posted on 19 August 2013 by Chelsea Nichols

She lived inside someone’s locket

Posted on 18 August 2013 by Chelsea Nichols

Tipu’s Tiger

Posted on 23 July 2013 by Chelsea Nichols

Tipu’s (or Tippoo’s) Tiger is a life-sized wooden mechanical organ made around 1793, depicting a tiger mauling a man in European clothing. When the crank is turned, a hidden mechanism causes the man’s arm to goes up and down, and plays his wails of agony along the growls of the tiger. Under a flap on the tiger’s body there is also a small pipe organ, which can play 18 notes. Continue reading →

Preserved loaf of bread discovered at Pompeii

Posted on 22 July 2013 by Chelsea Nichols

This is the ultimate piece of toast: a loaf of bread made in the first century AD, which was discovered at Pompeii, preserved for centuries in the volcanic ashes of Mount Vesuvius. Continue reading →

Adorable mug shot of 19th century pear-nibbling toddler

Posted on 21 July 2013 by Chelsea Nichols

Alphonse Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who was responsible for standardizing the modern mug shot. (Fun fact: the profile shot was included because Bertillon thought our ear shape might become a unique identifier, in the days before fingerprinting). This freaking adorable mug shot features his two-year old son François Bertillon, a hardened criminal who was caught nibbling all the pears from a basket on 17 October 1893. Continue reading →

WHAT IS THIS THING? Mystery museum object #5

Posted on 21 February 2013 by Chelsea Nichols

WHAT IS THIS THING? Inspired by a mystery object tweeted by one of my favorite websites, Collectors Weekly, I’ve decided to make a little game out of some of my own ridiculously interesting MYSTERY MUSEUM OBJECTS. Try to guess what this strange thing is before scrolling down for the answer!