“Being normal is vastly overrated,” declared grandma Aggie Cromwell in Halloweentown (1998). Certainly, life has so much to offer: things curious, magical, mysterious and strange. Weird antiques and vintage objects especially are so interesting to us because they’re unfamiliar. What back then perhaps was the norm, today seems peculiar and spooky.
Museum of Curiosities is a place of such wonder, showcasing strange and interesting finds. It’s like opening a virtual cabinet of curiosities. The treasures are shared and curated by Monsieur Pompier’s Travelling Freakshow – an authentic and original group of oddballs that are no amateurs in spooky entertainment. So prepare to be amazed, our dear pandas, as we present to you our third feature on Monsieur Pompier’s Museum of Curiosities!
More info: Instagram | Facebook | X | Album | MonsieurPompier.com | Donate
#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

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#2 Water Damaged Copy Of “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” Which Grew Fungi. (Photo By Igor Siwanowicz)

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#3 17th Century Poison Cabinet Disguised As A Book

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#4 Perfume Bottle Consisting Of Eight Glass Bottles As Orange Segments, Set In Painted Ceramic Holder. (Ca. 1925)

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#5 Bat Lantern (Circa 1930)

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#6 Reusable Shopping List From The 1950s

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#7 Rare Set Of 16th Century Italian Notation Knives With Musical Notes Engraved On The Blade, Meant To Be Sung As Grace Before A Meal

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#8 In 1963, The Bronx Zoo Held A Unique Exhibit It’s Name Was “The Most Dangerous Animal In The World” And As You Can See From The Picture, The Most Dangerous Animal Is A Human
They used a mirror so people could see their reflection and also added bars to represent a cage.

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#9 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’

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#10 Victorian Era Radiator With Bread Warmer

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#11 Self-Defense Glove For Ladies (London, 1850)

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#12 World’s Smalllest Man In 1956, Henry Berhens, Dancing With His Cat

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#13 Late-1800s Brothel Candles. Wen The Candle Burned Out The Session Was Over

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#14 This Russian Family Portrait Was Taken Back In 1886. The Father Had An Obsession With Pool, And Dressed His Children Like Billiard Balls

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#15 Myrtle Corbin, Known As The Four-Legged Girl From Texas, Was A Dipygus
She was born with a severe congenital deformity of conjoined twining that caused her to have two separate pelvises and a smaller set of inner legs that she was able to move.

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#16 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

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#17 1950s Ovaltine Advert

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#18 Chopines Are Platform Shoes That Were Worn By Women In The 15th, 16th And 17th Century
Made with a very tall wooden platform, these shoes protected the dress from mud and street dust. They became very popular in Venice and were worn by noble women and courtesans

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#19 Painless Dentist

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#20 Unlucky

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#21 Antique Victorian Crystal Poison Bottle, 1890

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#22 Egyptian–Phoenician Glass Dog Head Bead, 6th-4th Century Bc

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#23 Tutankhamun Wore Socks With His Sandals

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#24 “Winkie” Blinking Eyeball Novelty Ring From 1962

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#25 Black Cat Auditions In Hollywood (1961)

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#26 This Medieval House In Aveyron, France, Dates Back To The 13th Century And Was Built Top-Heavy As A Cost-Saver, Because At The Time, Homes Were Taxed On Ground-Floor Square Footage

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#27 A Neon Salesman’s Sample Case, Circa 1935

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#28 Museum In Japan That Showcases Various Naturally Formed Rocks With Faces On Them

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#29 Happy Caturday

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#30 Corner Piano

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#31 The Lava Lamp Inventor With His Wife In 1963

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#32 This Mannequin Was Designed By Angelique Marguerite Le Boursier Du Coudray During The 1700’s
It was used for teaching midwifery. Madame Du Coudray spent 25 years travelling the towns and cities of France, teaching her methods and selling her mannequins

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#33 The Retired Heads Of Madame Tussauds

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#34 Victorian Era “Ritter” Road-Skates Or Foot Bicycles, Ca 1898

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#35 A Knocker-Upper Was Someone Whose Purpose Was To Wake People Up During A Time When Alarm Clocks Were Expensive And Not Very Reliable
They earned about six pence a week using a pea shooter to shoot dried peas at the windows of sleeping workers in East London, 1930s

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#36 Carved Ivory And Ebony Skeleton With Gravedigger’s Shovel, Dated 1632. State Art Collections, Dresden

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#37 The Breastplate Of Cuirassier 19 Years Old Antoine Fraveau, Struck And Killed By A Canonball During Battle Of Waterloo (1815)

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#38 Contraption Worn By A Mid-19th Century Women Who Lost Her Nose To Syphilis

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#39 Authentic 16th Century Plague Doctor Mask Preserved And On Display At The German Museum Of Medical History

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#40 The Old Gentleman Of Raahe Is Believed To Be The Oldest Surviving Diving Suit In The World, Dating Back From The Early 1700s

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#41 Egyptian Gold Sandals And Toe Caps Circa 1500 B.c

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#42 Past – Present – Future?

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#43 Daddy Saddle

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#44 Victorian Mourning Ring With Glass Eye Of The Deceased Ca. 1890

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#45 Photographer Unknown, Possibly Paleontologist Alfred Romer. Nelda Wright In The Skull Of A Kronosaurus, 1958. Harvard University Archives

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#46 1887, Alice In Wonderland

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#47 Little Richard Doll

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#48 To Copyright Their Unique Looks, Professional Clowns Submit Their Likeness To The Clowns International Group, Who Paint Eggs To Match The Hair, Makeup And Costumes Of Each Performer, And Then Files Them In The Clown Egg Register

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#49 Horse Costume Taken From Jean Cocteau’s Le Testament D’orphée (Testament Of Orpheus), Designed By Janine Janet, 1960

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
#50 Rubber “Beauty Masks” Worn To Get Rid Of Wrinkles And Skin Imperfections, 1921

Image source: museum_of_curiosities
Follow Us





