The Cabinet of Curiosities
Welcome to a Curious World
During the Victorian era Cabinets of Curiosity were all the rage. They collected natural specimens, fossils, artifacts, and oddities. Take a peak into that world.
If you like what you see, maybe start one of your own!
Why am I interested in Cabinets of Curiosity?
For years I've been fascinated by old victorian natural history collections and all the interesting things that went into them. I think it started with the first time I read about Captain Nemo's collection of sea life specimens in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and continued with my own interest in science and nature.
This interest has led to many of my own art creations being suitable to a modern Cabinet of Curiosity. I even had a small one of my own that includes fossils, dried plants, a few insects, and mineral specimens alongside my sculptures that haven't yet sold.
This lens is meant to be a place to collect information about building up a Cabinet of Curiosities of both natural and man-made specimens.
Cabinet of Curiosities Links
- Cabinet of Wonders
Bringing the Early Age of Enlightenment to the modern world.
Oddities of Nature - Strange Occurrences in Nature
- The Human Marvels: Vindicating those once labeled as freaks.
The Human Marvels is dedicated to vindicating those people who were once labeled as freaks and human oddities. - Joseph Merrick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Carey Merrick (August 5, 1862 â April 11, 1890), known as "The Elephant Man" gained the sympathy of Victorian era Britain because of the extreme malformity of his body. Due to a mistake in Sir Frederick Treves' book The Elephant Man and Other - Pickled punks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pickled punks is the carny term for human fetuses preserved in jars of formaldehyde and used as sideshow attractions. Most pickled punks display some sort of anatomical abnormality, such as conjoined twins or polycephaly; however, the deformities pre
Natural Specimens - Resources on collecting or buying fossils, minerals, and plants.
- Collecting Fossils
Everything you need to know about collecting fossils including what you were afraid to ask - Everything Fossils...Fossil Information for Education, Collecting and Fun!
An educational resource providing information on fossils, geologic history and earth science. Topics include fossil formation, geologic time, earth science lesson plans, and activities for kids. - Minerals and Mineral Collecting -- MineralCollecting.org
Informational non-commercial site about minerals and mineral collecting. Offers images, articles, literature, exchanges, forums, directories, message board. - Identifying Unknown Fossils (by their shape). Kentucky Geological Survey
Identifying Unknown Fossils (by their shape) Fossils of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey
Artificial Wonders
Many fabricated wonders showed up in curiosity cabinets in the 19th century. Many were fake artifacts from far away cultures. Some were fabulous creations like Feejee Mermaids meant to trick people into believing in a mythical creature. Some were simply mistakes such as confusing narwhal tusks for unicorn horns.
Modern Cabinets of Wonder can be filled with handmade creations by both yourself or artists. Here are a collection of links to projects for making your own handmade specimens, artists who's work would fit into a wunderkammer, and famous fakes both modern and historical.
Handmade Specimens - Links to Projects for Creating your own Cabinet Creations
- Wunderkammer
A Handmade Cabinet of Curiosity. Various crochet and embroidery projects for creating your own Cabinet of Curiosities. - Giant Squid kinetic sculpture from found materials - Instructables - DIY, How To, art, craft
This sculpture grew out of a long time fascination with the Giant Squid. My name being Nemo has meant a lifetime of "Captain Nemo" referenc... - Taxidermy Skull Preparation - Instructables - DIY, How To, art, craft
Learn how to clean and prepare animal skulls for display or study. WARNING: Veiwer disgreshion advised. Includes photos of raw skulls. Not for those w... - Thing in a Jar
An abstract sculpture of a thing in a jar, by Drew Olbrich - Lion Brand Hyperbolic Crochet Motifs
Create your own coral reef design of fantastical shells and fantastical creatures using hyperbolic planes. - Furry Lobster Plushie
Inspired by the recently reported kiwa hirsuta lobster, I designed a plush toy. Although sheâs not anatomically correct in every detail (PDF), I think she is an identifiable member of this new species. - Mouse Taxidermy - Instructables - DIY, How To, art
How to stuff a mouse. Warning: an extremely graphic tutorial involving dead mice. See LED Throwie Rodents, Conjoined Twin Mice, and Duck Mouse for more advanced projects.
Artists of Wonder - Links to artists who create items that would fit into a Cabinet of Curiosities.
- Noadi's Art Squid & Science Inspired Jewelry & Sculpture
Inspired by a love of marine animals, science, and all things weird and wonderful. Noadi's Art is the creation of Maine artist Sheryl Westleigh. Polymer clay jewelry creations and mixed media sculptures celebrating cuttlefish, octopus, trilobites, HP - The Art of Juan Cabana
The Feejee Mermaid and other strange curiousities by Juan Cabana - Custom Creatures Taxidermy Art
Strange creations made with taxidermied animals. And you thought normal taxidermy was creepy? - Etsy :: buildersstudio :: The Builder's Studio
Retro Robots, Ray Guns, Rockets, Flying Saucers - Etsy :: VintageFiligree :: Vintage Filigree Jewelry
Victorian Steampunk Nouveau - Mike Libby - Insect Lab
Insect Lab is an artist studio that customizes real insects with antique watch parts and mechanical components. Offering specimens that come in many shapes, sizes and colors; each insect is individually adorned, each is one of a kind and unique. - Bug Factory
Bug Factory - Etsy :: marytofts :: antiques & curiosities
Welcome to Mary Toft's Orphanage for Wayard Curios! All of our orphans are one of a kind, hand made or vintage.
Famous Fakes
Cabinets of Curiosities often contained faked specimens (usually unknown by the owner). Here is a collection of historical and modern fakes that could find a home in a Wunderkammer.
- Genpets.com - Bioengineered Buddies!
Genpets, Real living Pre-packaged, Mass produced, Bioengineered pets! The friendly Genectically modified organism for your child! - Adam Brandejs - Brandejs.ca - portfolio - Genpets/What [ 2005 ]
The Contemporary Fine Art and SFX Sculpture of Adam Brandejs. A gallery showing, new media sculptor using hybrid techniques in many mediums including clay, plastalina, metal, silicon, electronics, computer animation, plastics, and foam latex - Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
Information about the endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus and what you can do to save it. - Piltdown man
The Piltdown Man website at the Natural History Museum - Piltdown Man
The remarkable story of Piltdown Man began 43 years ago when Charles Dawson, country solicitor and amateur archaeologist and geologist brought to the Natural History Museum in London and handed to Smith Woodward, Keeper of Geology, a number of specim - Karl Woolf's "The Feejee Mermaid: The Milwaukee Taxidermied Treasure & Others"
he Feejee Mermaid represents humanityâs attempt to deal with its myths. This physical manifestation of ancient myth harkens back to other works of art, but over time became a myth in its own right, resurrected in the modern sideshows. Modern sideshow - Nelson Supply Company
Of the old time gaff makers' creations, The Nelson Supply House's "Mummified Curiosities" are among the most gruesomely beautiful and fully conceived attractions ever sold. The imagination and quality which went into creating them allowed Nelson to s
