Welcome to a Curious World
During the Victorian era Cabinets of Curiosity were all the rage. They collected natural specimens, fossils, artifacts, and oddities. Take a peak into that world.
Why am I interested in Cabinets of Curiosity?
For years I've been fascinated by old victorian natural history collections and all the interesting things that went into them. I think it started with the first time I read about Captain Nemo's collection of sea life specimens in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and continued with my own interest in science and nature.This interest has led to many of my own art creations being suitable to a modern Cabinet of Curiosity. I even had a small one of my own that includes fossils, dried plants, a few insects, and mineral specimens alongside my sculptures that haven't yet sold.
This lens is meant to be a place to collect information about building up a Cabinet of Curiosities of both natural and man-made specimens.
What is a Cabinet of Curiosities?
For the 2002 novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, see The Cabinet of Curiosities
For the 2009 Janes Addiction box set, see A Cabinet of Curiosities
Category: Image - :Musei Wormiani Historia.jpg|thumb|350px|right|"Musei Wormiani Historia", the frontispiece from the Museum Wormianum depicting Ole Worms cabinet of curiosities.
Cabinets of curiosities (also known as Wunderkammer, Cabinets of Wonder, or wonder-rooms) were encyclopedic collections of types of objects whose categorical boundaries were, in Renaissance Europe, yet to be defined. Modern terminology would categorize the objects included as belonging to natural history (sometimes faked), geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art (including cabinet paintings) and antiquities. "The Kunstkammer was regarded as a microcosm or theater of the world, and a memory theater. The Kunstkammer conveyed symbolically the patron's control of the world through its indoor, microscopic reproduction."Francesaco Fiorani, reviewing Bredecamp 1995 in Renaissance Quarterly 51.1 (Spring 1998:268-270) p 268. Of Charles I of England's collection, Peter Thomas has succinctly stated, "The Kunstkabinett itself was a form of propaganda"Thomas, "Charles I of England: The tragedy of Absolutism", A.G. Dickens, ed. The Courts of Europe (London) 1977:201. Besides the most famous, best documented cabinets of rulers and aristocrats, members of the merchant class and early practitioners of science in Europe, formed collections that were precursors to museums.
Cabinet of Curiosities Links
- Cabinet of Wonders
- Bringing the Early Age of Enlightenment to the modern world.
- Wunderkammer
- Australian Wunderkammer
Cabinet of Curiosities Books
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byOddities of Nature
Strange Occurances in Nature
- The Human Marvels: Vindicating those once labeled as freaks.
- The Human Marvels is dedicated to vindicating those people who were once labeled as freaks and human oddities.
- Joseph Merrick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Joseph Carey Merrick (August 5, 1862 ? April 11, 1890), known as "The Elephant Man" gained the sympathy of Victorian era Britain because of the extreme malformity of his body. Due to a mistake in Sir Frederick Treves' book The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923), Merrick is sometimes known as John Merrick.
- Pickled punks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Pickled punks is the carny term for human fetuses preserved in jars of formaldehyde and used as sideshow attractions. Most pickled punks display some sort of anatomical abnormality, such as conjoined twins or polycephaly; however, the deformities present are as varied as the nature of human inflictions. Faked pickled punks, made from rubber or wax, are known as "bouncers" for their tendency to bounce when dropped on the floor.
Natural Specimens
Resources on collecting or buying fossils, minerals, and plants.
- Collecting Fossils
- Everything you need to know about collecting fossils including what you were afraid to ask
- Everything Fossils...Fossil Information for Education, Collecting and Fun!
- An educational resource providing information on fossils, geologic history and earth science. Topics include fossil formation, geologic time, earth science lesson plans, and activities for kids.
- Fossil Collecting
- Believe it or not, there are probably fossils to be collected within a few miles from where you are right now! The best way to find these localities is to join a fossil club. Most clubs cost only a few dollars to join, or are free, and give back much in return. In a fossil club, you'll get to attend informative meetings on fossils in your area and beyond, meet knowledgeable collectors, and even take field trips to dig fossils you may keep for your own private collection!
- Minerals and Mineral Collecting -- MineralCollecting.org
- Informational non-commercial site about minerals and mineral collecting. Offers images, articles, literature, exchanges, forums, directories, message board.
- Expert Secrets for Preserving Plants
- The museum of natural history nearest you probably harbors an impressive collection of local plant life. To aid budding botanists, I thought I'd share some museum tips for specimen preservation. You can use these techniques to help add to the official record or simply to engage your family in a rewarding outdoor adventure.
- COLLECTING INSECTS
- Where and How to Collect Insects
- Identifying Unknown Fossils (by their shape). Kentucky Geological Survey
- Identifying Unknown Fossils (by their shape) Fossils of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey
Artificial Wonders
Many fabricated wonders showed up in curiosity cabinets in the 19th century. Many were fake artifacts from far away cultures. Some were fabulous creations like Feejee Mermaids meant to trick people into believing in a mythical creature. Some were simply mistakes such as confusing narwhal tusks for unicorn horns.Modern Cabinets of Wonder can be filled with handmade creations by both yourself or artists. Here are a collection of links to projects for making your own handmade specimens, artists who's work would fit into a wunderkammer, and famous fakes both modern and historical.
Handmade Specimens
Links to Projects for Creating your own Cabinet Creations
- Wunderkammer
- A Handmade Cabinet of Curiosity. Various crochet and embroidery projects for creating your own Cabinet of Curiosities.
- Giant Squid kinetic sculpture from found materials - Instructables - DIY, How To, art, craft
- This sculpture grew out of a long time fascination with the Giant Squid. My name being Nemo has meant a lifetime of "Captain Nemo" referenc...
- Taxidermy Skull Preparation - Instructables - DIY, How To, art, craft
- Learn how to clean and prepare animal skulls for display or study. WARNING: Veiwer disgreshion advised. Includes photos of raw skulls. Not for those w...
- Thing in a Jar
- An abstract sculpture of a thing in a jar, by Drew Olbrich
- Lion Brand Hyperbolic Crochet Motifs
- Create your own coral reef design of fantastical shells and fantastical creatures using hyperbolic planes.
- Furry Lobster Plushie
- Inspired by the recently reported kiwa hirsuta lobster, I designed a plush toy. Although she's not anatomically correct in every detail (PDF), I think she is an identifiable member of this new species.
- Crochet fetus
- Some of you asked for a pattern for the amigurumi "fetus" I posted several days back, and I don't quite have a pattern for you, but I have some instructions to help you with amigurumi.
- Mouse Taxidermy - Instructables - DIY, How To, art
- How to stuff a mouse. Warning: an extremely graphic tutorial involving dead mice.
See LED Throwie Rodents, Conjoined Twin Mice, and Duck Mouse for more advanced projects.
Cephalopod Patterns
If you want to make squid, octopus, and cuttlefish specimens for your cabinet here's a whole lens devoted to free patterns for them. Even a few other sea creatures thrown in too.-
Cephalopod Craft Patterns
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Make your own stuffed octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. Free crochet, knit, and sewing patterns for cephalopods (and a few other sea creatures thrown in).
Artists of Wonder
Links to artists who create items that would fit into a Cabinet of Curiosities.
- Noadi's Art Shop, Fantasy Sculpture and Jewelry Designs Selling ooak gargoyles, cephalopods, trilobites, and more
- Noadi's Art Shop, buy original sculpture, PermaPets, cephalopod jewelry, gargoyles and more Sculpted gifts in polymer clay and mixed media
- The Art of Juan Cabana
- The Feejee Mermaid and other strange curiousities by Juan Cabana
- Custom Creatures Taxidermy Art
- Strange creations made with taxidermied animals. And you thought normal taxidermy was creepy?
- Etsy :: buildersstudio :: The Builder's Studio
- Retro Robots, Ray Guns, Rockets, Flying Saucers
- Etsy :: VintageFiligree :: Vintage Filigree Jewelry
- Victorian Steampunk Nouveau
- Mike Libby - Insect Lab
- Insect Lab is an artist studio that customizes real insects with antique watch parts and mechanical components. Offering specimens that come in many shapes, sizes and colors; each insect is individually adorned, each is one of a kind and unique.
- Bug Factory
- Bug Factory
- Etsy :: marytofts :: antiques & curiosities
- Welcome to Mary Toft's Orphanage for Wayard Curios!
All of our orphans are one of a kind, hand made or vintage.
Handmade SPecimens on Flickr
From the Curiosity Cabinet - Handmade Specimens Group
Sterling silver, 22K gold, steel, liver of sulfur patina 2.9 cm x 2.0 cm x 0.3 c...
acrylic on PVC gel and iron wire, 10 x 20 x 30 cm © 2008 Andrew Scott
sold
sterling silver, glass jars and model railroad landscape materials made for the...
Crocheted using yarn made from Marks & Spencer's chartreuse plastic shop...
Men's ring, adjustable.
More here
The good Professor carefully preserves flora and fauna specimens from his anachr...
Folded from a 24cm square of tissue foil. My own design. CP on
Sculpted polymer clay newborn rat in a gourd cradle.
Dr. Edmund Gravel carefully preserves samples of flora and fauna that he collect...
Dr. Edmund Gravel carefully preserves specimens of flora and fauna that he colle...
Famous Fakes
- Genpets.com - Bioengineered Buddies!
- Genpets, Real living Pre-packaged, Mass produced, Bioengineered pets! The friendly Genectically modified organism for your child!
- Adam Brandejs - Brandejs.ca - portfolio - Genpets/What [ 2005 ]
- The Contemporary Fine Art and SFX Sculpture of Adam Brandejs. A gallery showing, new media sculptor using hybrid techniques in many mediums including clay, plastalina, metal, silicon, electronics, computer animation, plastics, and foam latex
- Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
- Information about the endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus and what you can do to save it.
- Piltdown man
- The Piltdown Man website at the Natural History Museum
- Piltdown Man
- The remarkable story of Piltdown Man began 43 years ago when Charles Dawson, country solicitor and amateur archaeologist and geologist brought to the Natural History Museum in London and handed to Smith Woodward, Keeper of Geology, a number of specimens.
- Karl Woolf's "The Feejee Mermaid: The Milwaukee Taxidermied Treasure & Others"
- he Feejee Mermaid represents humanity's attempt to deal with its myths. This physical manifestation of ancient myth harkens back to other works of art, but over time became a myth in its own right, resurrected in the modern sideshows. Modern sideshow professionals keep the myth alive, entertaining crowds and preserving a specific part of American cultural heritage.
- Nelson Supply Company
- Of the old time gaff makers' creations, The Nelson Supply House's "Mummified Curiosities" are among the most gruesomely beautiful and fully conceived attractions ever sold. The imagination and quality which went into creating them allowed Nelson to sell his creations "C.O.D. with the privilege of examination"(1). But proprietor William "Billy" Nelson didn't just sell you a $25 papier-mâché gaff? he sold you a whole show. Supplying the banners, the pitch, and the attraction, Nelson generated a whole business for the showman. All they had to supply was the ticket-box.
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Pen your Thoughts
YesterdaysClues wrote...
Fantastic lens! Lots of fun stuff to explore. I would love to add your lens to my group for the Victorian Era.
Posted October 20, 2008
paperfacets wrote...
This lens is as fascinating as anything in a jar.
There are many museums on England that are Victorian collections willed to the Country. One that comes to mind is the Sloan House in London.
The whole house was expanded and altered to be a huge cabinet. Thanks for high lighting this basic human urge.
Posted August 15, 2008
enslavedbyfaeries wrote...
Your choices for lens topics always grab my attention and I'm loving this one! My daughters go to Montessori/Liberal arts school and I think a cabinet of curiosity would be a project the teachers and students would LOVE to work on. I'm going to make a suggestion to the Jr. & high school teachers our next parent meeting.
p.s.
I saw your comment on the pink flamingo lens, LOL! The Mosquito Protection Society appreciates your support. :)
Posted July 29, 2008
alteredkat wrote...
LOVE IT...5*s!...rolled this lens back to my Steampunk lens too! :O) Love the Flickr jewelry pics! Thanks!
Posted July 26, 2008
Wonderful Lens, congratulations!
Posted July 12, 2008
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