Take a look at this giant post for a whole host of medical themed oil paintings and antique medicine chests (ranging from the 15th-20th century).
Some of these still contain the original specimens and potions.
See more here.
Tag: antiques
-
I greatly admire the work of Ivan Pavlov. Turns out the Yale University archives have a piece of meat signed by Pavlov himself.
Pavlov was visiting pioneer brain surgeon Harvey Cushing when a piece of new surgical equipment caught his eye.
Pavlov was captivated by the new electrosurgical knife Cushing used in the operation, and at the end of the procedure, Cushing got a piece of beef so that the elder scientist could try his hand. After making a few incisions, Pavlov inscribed his name into the meat. “I asked him whether he wanted me to eat the meat in the hope of improving my conditional reflexes,” Cushing wrote in his journal, “or whether we could keep it in the museum, the latter we will proceed to do—’Pavlov’s beef-steak.’” A collector of old medical books and of brain tumors, when he died in 1939 Cushing bequeathed both to Yale, where his rare books would become the cornerstone for creating the Medical Historical Library.
-
Tom Pritchard has one of the most amazing collections of Halloween artifacts I’ve ever come across. I’m a collector of many things…but I don’t collect anything formally, so I always admire the thoroughness and dedication it takes to put together a personal showcase like this.
German lanterns:
American lanterns:
Candy containers:
German noisemakers:
Pre-war masks:
Post-war masks:
These are only the title page images. See individual pieces and room displays here.
-
There is a huge photo set over at English Russia containing images from abandoned medical clinics.
Models, toys, antiquated devices and chemicals…it seems that time just stopped here, and all fell into decay.
I’m surprised that these ghosts of medicine were not all stolen from the premises.
See many more here.
-
What an interesting artifact. The carvings on this 16th Century German Rosary Terminal are quite intricate…and macabre.
Each bead of the rosary represents the bust of a well-fed burgher or maiden on one side, and a skeleton on the other. The terminals, even more graphically, show the head of a deceased man, with half the image eaten away from decay. Such images served as reminders that life is fleeting and that leading a virtuous life as a faithful Christian is key to salvation.
-
What is it about the old fashioned clicking of typewriter keys that makes me so weak in the knees? Check out this antiquated device as it accompanies a short orchestral performance by Leroy Anderson:
-
I have never wanted to hop a plane to Wisconsin so badly in my life. I absolutely must visit the House on the Rock.
I’m going to be honest. I can’t write detailed descriptions of all the rooms in this place, because I WILL impulsively buy a plane ticket I can’t afford…and we don’t want that, now do we?
However, I will direct you to this fantastic post that describes the house in more detail.
Antiques, oddities, puppets, monsters, instruments, specimens, props, masks, machines, weapons, books, carnival and sideshow relics…enough to make one’s head explode in the most delightful way.
A wise friend recently pointed out a common thread in my preferences: a penchant for intensely created little worlds full of unique vision. I think this place is a perfect example. I like to be sensually overwhelmed, immersed in creativity, history, the carefully crafted extremes of madness and entertainment. Places that collect the bizarre fringes of human invention never fail to fascinate me.
Each bit of ephemera tells a story…stories run through my head with every picture I see…
Time to count the change in my jar and save up for that ticket…
-
Last week, I had the opportunity for an impromptu trip to the city of Portland, Maine. First stop: International Cryptozoology Museum
The museum is tucked in the back of The Green Hand bookstore, which in itself is a fantastic place to visit. There’s a wonderful selection of used books and interesting artifacts. This taxidermy gentleman greets you upon arrival:
I enjoyed keeping my eyes peeled, and coming across things like this bony fellow on the couch.
With renowned cryptozoologist Loren Coleman (who is truly the expert in this field) as our guide, we explored some fun and fascinating artifacts.
Museum items included specimens, bones, taxidermy, molded casts, replicas, pop culture renditions of various cryptids, video footage and movie props.
I was a fan of the Mothman display case.
The museum also covered notorious creature hoaxes and fakes, which was a wonderful addition (and in my opinion, a necessary one when presenting the subject matter).
And on our way out, we saw this plate in the parking lot…
I recommend stopping by the museum if you are ever in the Portland area. Loren has a ton of interesting things to share and has amassed quite a collection.
After the museum, I had my heart set on going to Duckfat for authentic Poutine (Belgian style fries, cheese curds, duck gravy). I was not disappointed.
-
BibliOdyssey just featured a beautiful series of anatomical illustrations from Florence Henwick Miller’s An Atlas of Anatomy, 1879.
They are rather vibrantly colored for illustrations of this period.
See the rest of the set here.
-
I’ve had this collection of pictures on my desktop for what feels like eternity. They are from my last shopping excursion in NYC. I think they give a fairly good idea of what my little eyes like to drink up along my travels. Here are a few of my favorite oddities hot spots.
Giant Robot is PACKED with adorable kitsch and random imported goodness. They also have art displays in the front of the store.
Atomic Passions looks like grandma’s attic…if you happen to have the most awesome grandmother in the history of the world.
Ah, Obscura…a favorite indeed. These antique acquisitions are nothing short of impressive. Wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, the place is overflowing with amazing things to look at. My imagination gets lost in the stories contained in these pieces.
I never tire of looking around Evolution, which I’ve posted about before. On this particular day, the upstairs section was closed, so I missed checking out the incredible taxidermy specimens (which, for my own sanity I MUST believe died of natural causes…don’t ruin it for me).
Clearly, I like densely packed displays of meaningful objects! So beware, if I ever ask you to go “shopping,” I won’t be referring to 5th Avenue boutiques…there will be antiquated medical instruments and rotting dolls involved. Usually, anyway. I also like bookstores. 🙂
SheWalksSoftly 