Now, I do rather like this
Cory Doctorow’s brilliant BoingBoing has brought this to my attention. I did a little wee of excitement and will be emailing the nice lady suggesting she might like to come and photograph at my place. Hmmmmmm, lovely, ssshhhhhh, everyone else go away.Â
x
hmmm. :-s
Definately right up your street!
A wee of excitement ……. I wont make comments Derren, but perhaps you should check up with your doctor … I’m sure you already use Always … the angel version.
I’m familiar with this website. It’s itneresting. But I’ve been working at Anatomy myself and there was this Anatomy Museum … I still remember bringing my grandmother there and seeing her sit next to a cabinet with skulls … she look at them with this smile on her face .. as if she was greeting someone overthere … and we have these bodies in the souterrain here … speaking of morbid …
so, how do you plan to make it a bit more morbid back home …. morbid anatomy is not the same as taxidermy .. unless you put yourself up there ofcourse … or erm … let’s see … who might be triggering some interest ….. hmm ….
You mean, you want to be alone with the lady …. we are not invited to join????? Geeeezzzzz Derrern, you’re so selfish … What if we want her too? For morbid purposes.
fascinating stuff. I could come and make a cast for you, but no wee wees in the alginate though
Hmmm, if you have a morbid streak and fancy a step back in time, you could do a lot worse than pay a visit to the “Welcome institute” in Old Holbern, though when I visited as a crusty art student 20 years ago it was under the ruse that my group of fellow crusty art students were studying for a medical degree.
Upstairs is contemporary, with professionally laid out medical specimens in formaldehyde (I never knew before that formaldehyde disolves blackheads… one specimen had craters all over his nose), but downstairs are some truly taste-defying exhibits dating from the Victorian era.
Skulls of syphilis patients which are riddled with what appears to be woodworm, glass cases of early organ grafting experiments on cockrel combs (one sporting a human tooth on it’s head and one with it’s claw grafted on) the bloodvessels supposedly keep the organs alive, the record of some 17th century convict’s execution bound in his own skin, an entire cabinet dedicated to the male member preserved in jars of formaldehyde, parasitic twins… around every corner is something to make you do double takes.
The interior of a camel’s hump looks like honeycomb, lots of chambers seperated by valves.
It actually makes Gunter Von Hagen look tasteful by comparison.
I found it facinating in a kind of guilty pleasure sense of the word. However it’s by appointment only, so you can’t just shuffle in off the street. We took sketchbooks…
Everyone who claimed that this guy isn’t scary please raise yourhands and look ashamed.
Thanks.
The coronated cat is the best thing I have seen all day – it’s like a pre-schizophrenia Louis Wain character.
Can I just say OMG PRINCESS KITTY!!! *squees like a little girl*
…ok, I’m good now. 😛
Seriously though, there’s some pretty cool stuff on that blog — though I must say that the picture of the girl with scoliosis at the top of the page just made me cringe. Looks painful.
Oh err….not my sort of thing at all but each to their own I guess
Derren, you must try and get time to watch ‘Dexter’….you’d just love it I’m sure.
I received my copy of Portraits at the weekend. Thank you for such a beautiful book Mr B
Gosh, I wonder what you’ve got, at your place.
Ooohh, good to know
😀
well.. not my cup of tea, but if you like taxidermy…
http://www.anorak.co.uk/strange-but-true/211535.html/2
Enjoy it!
N.x
if you like that, you’ll LOVE the Mutter Museum in philadelphia!
LMAO at the drawings of the female examination, especially the perturbed look on the poor woman’s face. How far medicine has advanced – we’re exactly the same now, but with fewer petticoats!
I don’t think this stuff’s creepy – it’s fascinating. I’m desperately trying to get hold of a human skull ’cause it would look cool on my bookcase, and I’ve already got a model brain. I stood next to the pathologist while he conducted a forensic autopsy a couple of years ago on a young female murder victim and am determined to get my cat stuffed when the sad day finally arrives. I also recorded a rotton corpse being pulled out of the canal where I used to work – strange what total submersion does to a body. Did you know that after approx 4 weeks, a the skin from the hand can be slipped off like a glove and body fat turns to soap? Eeeeeewwww… Gross but interesting in equal measures, I think.
Funnily enough, these are exactly the things I never talk about because it seems to upset people. You know, Leonardo Da Vinci studied anatomy and skeletal/musculator structures to feed his art, too. Actually, so did Hannibal lecter, I think. See? Two great examples of why bodies are cool.
To Flapjack – Thanks for the tip re: Welcome Institute, sounds great.
Err….not over enamoured with the little death faces (or whatever they were), but quite interesting apart from that.
On a different note, am delighted to see C4 repeating series 1 of Trick Or Treat, starting next Thursday (11th)!!
Claire x
you’re a strange boy. Mind you, I get excited at sewers; I’m a fine one to talk.
I can’t help but find this sort of horribly fascinating..
Anyone who is in Dublin in the next few weeks should go and see the Bodies Exhibition
http://www.bodiesdublin.com/
Siobhan, that looks dead interesting!
Weirdo
very cool! reminded me of this photoshoot of the back rooms at AMNH:
http://seedmagazine.com/Saved_By_Science/sbs_slideshow.html
i see that she’s in New Orleans. I think, Mr. Brown, you would quite love the city were you to visit. (i’m assuming here that you haven’t). just don’t go in the summer months.
You may be interested in this:
The television series First Person, series 1, episode 7, is titled “Smiling in a Jar,” and is an interview with Gretchen Worden, director of the Mütter Museum of Medical Oddities in Philadelphia. It’s interesting to watch, as are most of the other episodes in the series.
I’m the collections manager at the Gibraltar Museum… as well as the resident forensic archaeologist… currently i think i have about 5 dead ppl in my office alone… and countless more morbid things lying around… hey if you want pics of those ill be happy to send them along! the museum has a immense collection of taxidermy specimens… previous curator loved to stuff things!!
at least its good to know im not the only morbid one around!
x
Lady Claire – They look like death masks to me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_mask
Must admit, the photo collection is fascinating; the various objects in the collections are intreguing to look at (oddly, the princess kitty is the only weird part of the photos to me – taxidermy is one thing, dressing up a dead creature and putting it on display is another…). I’d love to see the photos that’d emerge from Derren’s collection!
Also, Hayley – As much as a part of my mind screams “don’t say a thing”, I’m sorta envious of you for witnessing an autopsy; it must have been very interesting to watch!
To be honest, I’m actually surprised that so many have professed to finding these things interesting. Nice to know there are others interested in such ‘morbid’ objects…!
@ SGC… bad bad pun!!!
interesting how many people like this. I on the other hand are a little freaked out by it. I must admit I do not like the idea of a stuffed animal or human or anything in my house. But I guess I’m rather girlie when it comes to things like that. I would be worried the eyes would follow me around the house. I find it very easy to freak myself out lol. x
wow thats pretty cool stuff, dare i say publicly! I am very interested in the morbid content of this site but I’m not a morbid person i will have you know 😉
xXx
@Jessabelle – princess kitty kinda creeped me out too.
Derren should perhaps get one of these for his collection.
This is all well and good, but are you into anything weird?
sorry, one of these:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8078827.stm
not a princess kitty.
Must say I prefer the living
Siobhan: you do better!
@ Hayley – No problem, I think you’re actually one of the few people posting here who could gain access to the Welcome Institute collection in Holborn without lying to get an appointment. Medics and those who have a medical pathology background have a legitimate reason to be there.
How us crusty fine art students got past the receptionist with our moth-eaten jumpers held together with safety pins, Doc Martins and paint spattered jeans I’ll never know. They were reputed to have a strict door policy. I would have assumed the bare minimum would be to show up in a labcoat with a biro in the top pocket!
BTW, there is another Welcome Institute collection which is open to everyone on the top floor of the Science museum in London, but it’s pretty tame by comparison.
maybe not directly related but as fascinating is the torture museum in Prague. It’s in the old town from memory. Amazing as collections go and makes you wonder at the minds of the people behind the devices..
That is you in the pic on the site isn’t it Derren?
I can’t not look at it!!!!
I love morbid weird stuff like this, it’s what makes the Victorians such interesting people!
There isn’t enough stuff like this in the world! I’m sure Derren will do his best to add to the collections!
XX
This thread got me thinking about taxidermy, and i had the misfortune to wonder how you taxidermy a bird without disturbing its feathers. So i googled it, as you do, and now i feel vaguely queasy.
I don’t have a problem with the skinning especially, or with the final product, but there’s something about someone telling you stick nail scissors or tweezers in to the head and pick the brains out… *shudder* …and they provided pictures to, which was lovely…
i am far too curious for my own good.
I anyone likes other morbid pursuits though, i second the recommedation of pragues torture museum – very cool… (sort of)
oh, if only i could have spent a day with Ole Worm…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ole_Worm
I do actually have a some piccies myself of taxidermi from an exhibition … completely forgot about it!… probably because of the bad reactions i got for being fascinated…is that called repressed memory? think i need a shrink 🙂
Thats why I like Derren. A real eccentric!
That was so GROSS! Although I did laugh at the pic of the medical doctor examining a woman circa 1800…….LOL!
Thank goodness for women doctors!
Wow I love it! I’ve always had an affinity for the morbid and macabre…I think I was a pretty morbid child xD
And in response to Chris – Why shouldn’t you go to New Orleans in the summer months? I’ve been hugely interested in the place for a while now, and hope to visit/maybe even live there in the future… 🙂
=] x
this is the kind of stuff that gives me nightmares. glad someone enjoys it though!
Derren… That’s just weird.
The very next time my neighbour’s cat comes into my garden and leaves me a ‘gift’ (and I don’t mean of the dead furry critter variety), it will be wearing a crown, a crinoline and a rather fixed expression 😉
To Flapjack: Thanks again! will definately look it up when I’m more mobile, currently grounded due to poverty. Ah, student summers ; )
To Kimberly Brow: You must have one of the coolest jobs, like, ever. Please post some photos for us and I’ll send you happy thoughts and groovy vibes.
Anyone into stuffed fluffy things or visions of torture, check out the wax museum on the Isle of Wight. I visited years ago but my appreciation of the kitties riding bicycles was detracted from somewhat by the god-awful stench pervading the taxidermy displays. It smelt like burnt, rancid butter, but I think it was actually the preservation chemicals.
The photos are easier to stomach, so I’ve attached a Flickr link if anyone wants to see.
xx
Hayley: I think I agree with you on the ‘coolest museum ever’ designation. Though whoever made that creepy mermaid put the fish half on upside down… *grins*
*lol* You did a little wee of excitment…. you’ve been watching the Apprentice haven’t you.
xx
Cheryl – well i can’t recommend visiting N.O. in the summer because of the oppressive heat and humidity. my first trip out was a few years back around Labor Day weekend (9/1) and it was just miserable. it got to me and i live in Texas!
e.g.: on our last day we got up in the morning, slightly hung over, to drive home. unfortunately my car wouldn’t start and we had to call AAA to come help. we were waiting outside at about 11am. it was somewhere around 98F, the sun was beating down on us, and with no cloud in the sky it started to rain. locals say this means the devil is beating his wife. the rain struck the pavement then would rise up in visible wisps of steam.
now when i went back the next April the weather was gorgeous, as it was on my most recent trip this past March. basically if you don’t mind walking around in a outdoor steambath then summer in N.O. shouldn’t be a problem for you.
i’d also suggest acquiring some kind of guide. i’m fortunate to be good friends with some native New Orleaneans and on my trips they’ve been able to steer toward the good stuff and away from the bad. this can be important as there are some parts that can be pretty dangerous. personally didn’t care for Bourbon Street – dirty, smelly loud and packed with drunk idiots – kinda not my scene.
that said, i will say it is a fantastic place, one of my favorite cities that i completely love. wonderful people, food, culture, architecture. there’s a lot going on other than just the touristy stuff too. check out
http://antigravitymagazine.com/
for some info on what else is out there.
I’m surprised DVB has anything in common with that numpty on The Apprentice i.e random wees? I hope he’s not going to do anything like that on 10th July or I’ll want a refund ………….
I’d like to be fascinated and intrigued by this quirky and fullfilling hobby, but it just gives me the creeps. To have a dead squirrell looking at you at home seems a bit distracting and quite frankly disgusting.
But I guess to continuously spend your day sticking needles into people or assist during an prostatectomy seems offputting to others.