Today, on Boing Boing, there was mention of the fact that, after a valiant eight year run, Baltimore’s American Dime Museum is packing up its cabinet of curiosities and calling it quits… If you don’t know what a dime museum is, click here. Then, check out this Cryptomundo post. And, then, if you’re so inclined, go poking around the web by yourself. (It’s scary, but you’ll be fine.) There’s lots of cool stuff on the museum… Who knows, if you dig deep enough, you may even come across photographic evidence of our friend Doug Skinner, who has apparently spent some time among the artifacts in the past. (Doug is the human nibbling his hand while the other fellow takes notes.)
Speaking of Doug, asked just now whether this was the last in the line of American dime museums, which date back to Barnum, he said the following: “Johnny Fox’s dime museum, which used to occupy a cramped storefront in downtown NYC, is still intact, and can be visited by appointment.” (A little poking around tells me Mr. Fox is now somewhere in Connecticut.) So, all is not lost, my friends. American culture lives on.
And, if you want to help keep the American Dime Museum’s collection alive, just open up your checkbook. Much of the collection is going to be available via online auction. Check it out. (Before bidding, you might want to contact your local library and make sure that they’ll accept the gift of a “flesh eating toad,” or whatever it is that you’d like to procure for them.)
Pictured above are (from left to right) Amelia Earheart’s finger, a parrot fish, and co-joined calves — all of which will be included in the auction.
5 Comments
Earhart’s finger looks freakishly long. Was she like the Dillinger of fingers?
And I think the Skinner you reference (in the photo) is wax.
I am already having nightmares about lot #224.
I may have been stifling nausea in that photo; some of the exhibits were rather nasty. That may explain the waxiness as well. There’s nothing like contemplating a mannequin coated with chewing gum after too much party the night before. The “other fellow,” by the way, is Mark Pilkington, editor of “Strange Attractor,” former “Guardian” science columnist, and man of many accomplishments.
Goodbye, Dime Museum, it was fun while it was lasted!
It may be in terribly bad taste, but do you think there would be much of a market for vibrators fashioned after that finger of Amelia Earheart’s? I have this hunch that it could be really big.
And, if I have time, I plan to start a rumor that Doug Skinner is now – and always has been – a wax figure… I think I’ll start with his Wikipedia page.
I don’t know about Fiji mermaids, but, according to scientists, male bisexuals do exist!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/health/23bisexual.html?_r=2