#1 This Is Bertha Boronda. Bertha Was Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison For “Mayhem” In 1908. Bertha Cut Off Her Husband’s Penis With A Straight Razor And Fled The Scene By Bicycle
#2 Perfume Bottle Consisting Of Eight Glass Bottles As Orange Segments, Set In Painted Ceramic Holder. (Ca. 1925)
#3 19th Century Walking Stick, Topped With A Cat Wearing Goggles
Since the first feature on Bored Panda in 2022, The Museum of Curiosities has grown a lot—almost three and a half times its size. At the time of writing, it has 52.9K followers on Instagram and 58.9K on X.
The guy behind this project, Paul, has kindly spoken with us twice before and told us that the inspiration for it came from similar websites on the internet, like The Museum of Ridiculously Interesting Things curated by Dr. Chelsea Nichols, which we have covered before too, and actual museums like The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in London.
“I'm a magpie for anything oddball and unusual, especially from the past so I'm always on the lookout for stories about things like old medical devices, bad taxidermy, the occult, bad inventions, weird unsolved mysteries, and so on,” shared Paul.
#6 Hidden Staircase In A 19th Century Victorian Home Leading To A Secret Room
When we last spoke to Paul around a year ago, he was slowly but surely making his way toward taking this online museum into the physical realm. "I’m still quite a way off, but little by little I see the rooms filling up with all manner of oddities, making me look like something of a hoarder (which I think is a good sign that I’m getting closer to having enough stuff to launch the museum!)”
#7 Ann Lockley Taking Tea With A Baby Hawk And A Lobster. Ann Lived On The Island Of Skokholm, Where Her Family Were The Only Inhabitants And Animals Were Pals. This Photo Was Taken For A 1938 National Geographic Story ‘We Live Alone And Like It — On An Island’
#9 Obstetric Phantom, 18th Century. The Wood And Leather Model Was Used To Teach Medical Students, And Possibly Midwives, About Childbirth. It Came From The Hospital Del Ceppo In Pistoia, Near Florence, Founded In 1277
Currently, the Instagram page says that Monsieur Pompier's Museum of Curiosities is coming to Dublin in 2025. We really hope this project will go beyond the internet and soon welcome visitors to their physical location. And if you do too, Paul is seeking donations to help make this all a reality. “You can donate whatever you like - be that money or your own curiosities which you’d like to see featured in the museum!"
#12 This Was Once The Oldest House In Hamburg Germany. It Was Built In 1504 And Was Demolished In 1910
Starting a museum is truly no easy task. And if you ever wondered how it’s done, Mark Walhimer, museum planner since 1992, lists in his article ten steps to creating one. The first thing he recommends doing is putting the vision on paper (which can be physical or digital). “Write a one-page description of the museum. What type of museum are you creating? science center? Art museum? local history?” Try imagining what you’re going to display, what you already have, and what story you’re going to tell with it.
Then he advises aspiring owners to find out what the community the museum is going to be in wants. “Ask, “What type of museum do you want?” Do not show drawings of the proposed museum, do not describe the museum you are planning. Listen.”After getting a general idea of what they expect, try visiting other museums, precisely 20, to see how they operate. “Keep notes and take lots of pictures. What is their yearly attendance? What is their ticket price? Notice the smallest details, what does the floor staff wear? Do they have a museum store?”
#16 Museum In Japan That Showcases Various Naturally Formed Rocks With Faces On Them
There’s no surprise here, but starting a museum is very expensive. Therefore, Mark recommends really crunching the numbers and finding connections in the real estate industry. After that, it’s a good idea to name the organization and purchase the domain for the words that describe it.
