Category Archives: Museum Lust

Primitive scientific ephemera, analytical analog baubles, and old dead things.

Frankenstein’s fairies: red in tooth and claw

Posted on October 27, 2007 by cicada

Swarm (detail) mixed media Tessa Farmer, 2004 from the Saatchi Gallery Before their nursery sanitization, fairy tales were savage. Remember how Cinderella’s stepmother mutilated her own daughters’ feet to fit the glass slipper, but was betrayed by the oozing blood? … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Museum Lust | 9 Comments

Truth and death in a nutshell

Posted on October 20, 2007 by cicada

Barn photo by Corinne May Botz “Even the most depraved Barbie doll collector couldn’t top this.” – John Waters Fans of CSI will be familiar with the “miniature killer” story arc, in which Grissom & company are taunted by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Destinations, Museum Lust, Science | 2 Comments

Too too solid flesh?

Posted on September 26, 2007 by cicada

La Belle Rosina (Two Young Girls) Antoine Wiertz, 1847 Morbid Anatomy has some excellent posts lately – if it’s not on your blogroll already, you should go investigate! I was particularly taken with this painting. I suppose it’s memento mori, … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Museum Lust | 8 Comments

Artempo: anatomy and time

Posted on September 13, 2007 by cicada

A model of female anatomy by an anonymous artist Collection of Axel Vervoordt Photo: David Yoder, NYT Two anatomic models Collections of Axel Vervoordt / Museo di Storia Naturale, Donazione Conte Querini Stampalia Artempo exhibition in Venice, Italy; NYT review … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Museum Lust | 1 Comment

Curious Expeditions’ Librophiliac Love Letter

Posted on September 10, 2007 by cicada

Bibliophiles: bookmark this link! Librophiliac Love Letter: A Compendium of Beautiful Libraries. One of my favorite blogs, Curious Expeditions, has written what may be the definitive blog post for library lovers. I’ve only been to four of the libraries on … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Destinations, Museum Lust, Photography | 1 Comment

The Hunterian Museum

Posted on September 9, 2007 by cicada

Syphilitic skull with three trephine holes and osteomyelitic lesions Hunterian museum One of my favorite London experiences was my visit to the Hunterian museum. If only I had more time there! I liked it so much, I returned on my … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Destinations, Museum Lust, Science, Wonder Cabinets | 13 Comments

The divine Museum Gottwaldianum

Posted on September 8, 2007 by cicada

I saw this at Bibliodyssey. The next day I had to go back and click the link again. A few days later I went shopping at the always-inspiring Anthropologie, and on returning home, had to go back and browse again. … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Books, Cephalopodmania, Museum Lust, Wonder Cabinets | 1 Comment

We all live in our antique submarine

Posted on August 4, 2007 by cicada

imaginative/anachronistic illustration of the Bushnell Turtle unknown artist Submarine artist/tattoist Duke Riley and compatriots were cited Friday morning in NYC for towing a “strange-looking” replica Revolutionary War sub near the Queen Mary 2. The strange sub is apparently modeled on … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Museum Lust, Retrotechnology | 1 Comment

Snakes on a plate! part deux

Posted on August 2, 2007 by cicada

Bernard Palissy, 1565-1585 As promised, here’s the Palissy snake serving dish from the Victoria and Albert Museum. It’s very similar to the one from the British Museum, except that the colors in this piece seem much brighter. I like the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Museum Lust | 1 Comment

Damn you, Tate Gallery!

Posted on July 31, 2007 by cicada

The Lady of Shalott, 1888 John William Waterhouse I arrived at the Tate Britain (better known by its former name, the Tate Gallery) Monday morning, only to discover that their entire inventory of pre-Raphaelites had been removed from display a … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Destinations, Museum Lust | 4 Comments