The World's 100 Weirdest Museums

The World's 100 Weirdest Museums
Author: Geoff Tibballs
Publisher: Robinson
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2016-10-20
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1472136969

When we think of the world's great museums, we tend to think of the Louvre, the Guggenheim or the Victoria and Albert. We do not immediately think of the Dog Collar Museum, the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum, the Museum of Broken Relationships or Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum. Yet scattered across the globe are museums dedicated to every conceivable subject, from bananas to Bigfoot, lawnmowers to leprechauns, teapots to tapeworms, mustard to moist towelettes, and pencils to penises. Many are serious collections housed in grand buildings, others are located in tiny premises and are open to visitors by appointment only, often the result of one person's crazy lifetime obsession. This book lists the world's 100 weirdest museums in order of quirkiness, encompassing such delights as The Museum of Witchcraft in Cornwall, a museum in Kentucky that houses 800 ventriloquists' dolls, the Museum of Bad Art in Massachusetts, the Paris Sewer Museum, the French Fry Museum in Bruges, the Museum of Contraception and Abortion in Vienna, the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Tennessee, Japan's Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum (quite possibly the world's only museum devoted to instant noodles), and the Kunstkamera in St Petersburg, home to Peter the Great's collection of oddities including deformed fetuses and the decapitated head of a love rival preserved in vinegar. After all, what holiday is complete until you have seen a 300-year-old decapitated human head in a jar? Each entry will include address, contact and admission details, so the next time you are in Berlin there is no excuse for missing out on a visit to the Currywurst Museum, the world's leading museum dedicated to sausages in hot ketchup.

The Good, the Bad and the Wurst

The Good, the Bad and the Wurst
Author: Geoff Tibballs
Publisher: Robinson
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2016-04-14
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1472137078

Sixty extraordinary years of Eurovision, from Céline Dion to Dustin the Turkey, from Abba to Conchita Wurst - the drag acts, the bad acts and all the nul points heroes. For 60 years the Eurovision Song Contest has existed in a parallel universe where a song about the construction of a hydro-electric power station is considered cutting-edge pop, where half a dozen warbling Russian grandmothers are considered Saturday night entertainment, where a tune repeating the word 'la' 138 times is considered a winner, and where Australia is considered part of Europe During those sixty years we have witnessed scandals: in 1957, Denmark's Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler enjoyed an outrageously long 13-second kiss because the stage manager forgot to say 'cut' during the live broadcast. We have witnessed national outrage: the 1976 Greek entry was a savage indictment of Turkish foreign policy in Cyprus. But most have all we have witnessed silly costumes, terrible lyrics and performers as diverse as Celine Dion and Dustin the Turkey. This book chronicles the 100 craziest moments in the history of Eurovision - the drag acts, the bad acts, the nul points heroes and the night in Luxembourg when the floor manager warned the audience not to stand up while they applauded because they might be shot by security forces. It captures some of the magic from this yearly event that continues to beguile and bemuse in equal measure.

Offbeat Museums

Offbeat Museums
Author: Saul Rubin
Publisher: Black Dog Publishing
Total Pages: 237
Release: 1997
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781579122560

Collects details of some of the strangest museums and exhibits around the United States, providing a guided tour of places such as the Cockroach Hall of Fame, Spinning Top Exploratory Museum, and the Mini Cake Museum.

100 Things to Do in Portland, ME Before You Die, Second Edition

100 Things to Do in Portland, ME Before You Die, Second Edition
Author: Robert Witkowski
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2019-03-11
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1681061600

The original, the authentic, the real Portland is in Maine. Settled in 1633 and officially named in 1788, Maine’s largest city is unexpectedly influential in many key events in America’s history (including Oregon’s city being named after Maine’s Portland on a coin flip), but it has managed to remain one of the great American seaport cities on the East Coast. First-time visitors are delighted to discover a “lovely city” when expecting a small fishing town, or to discover a “charming town” when expecting to encounter a overwhelming city . . . but no one ever seems disappointed! Noted as a “U.S. Destination on the Rise” by Trip Advisor for consecutive years, then one better on National Geographic’s Best Small City list as the “Most Instagrammed City”­ the eclectic mix of cosmopolitan city, working waterfront, creative economy, and historical and cultural center appeals to the millions that flock here. What makes this city of only 66,000 so surprising to so many is the number of restaurants, theaters, museums, galleries, and performing arts venues available—rivaling urban areas more than ten times its size. This second edition of 100 Things to Do in Portland, Maine Before You Die gives you life beyond the guidebooks—the real Portland. It’s a glimpse into the amazing events, food, activities, and secrets that even locals may not know.

A History of the World in 100 Objects

A History of the World in 100 Objects
Author: Neil MacGregor
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 564
Release: 2011-10-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 0141966831

This book takes a dramatically original approach to the history of humanity, using objects which previous civilisations have left behind them, often accidentally, as prisms through which we can explore past worlds and the lives of the men and women who lived in them. The book's range is enormous. It begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with an object from the 21st century which represents the world we live in today. Neil MacGregor's aim is not simply to describe these remarkable things, but to show us their significance - how a stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people, how Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency or how an early Victorian tea-set tells us about the impact of empire. Each chapter immerses the reader in a past civilisation accompanied by an exceptionally well-informed guide. Seen through this lens, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. An intellectual and visual feast, it is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.

Offbeat Museums

Offbeat Museums
Author: Saul Rubin
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1997
Genre: Curiosities and wonders
ISBN: 9780963994646

Offbeat Museums contains profiles of the curators and collections of America's most unusual museums. From the Banana Museum in California to the Tragedy in U.S. History Museum in Florida, Saul Rubin takes you on a guided tour of the United States' strangest institutions, and introduces you to the offbeat people who run them. Included among the places you will visit are: Cockroach Hall of Fame The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices Mister Ed's Elephant Museum The Museum of Jurassic Technology The Mütter Museum Houdini Historical Center UFO Enigma Museum The Museum of Menstruation Nut Museum 50 museums in all! In the age of cable television and the World Wide Web it's easy to smugly believe that we've seen it all. Such institutions as the Museum of Death, the Museum of Bathroom Tissue, and the Glore Psychiatric Museum suggest otherwise. By stepping outside the mainstream, these offbeat museums meet and even surpass the promise of more traditional museums: To amaze, inspire and enlighten the public. So turn off the TV, log off the Net, and letOffbeat Museums take you on a journey of unexpected wonder and discovery!

My Very Important World

My Very Important World
Author: DK
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2019-09-10
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1465493905

A charming children's encyclopedia bursting with fun facts for little learners who want to know about the world! Our world is an amazing place. It’s full of rivers, mountains, animals, and too many other amazing places to count. But that’s not all. There’s also families, friends, music, technology, language, games, and all other things that make lifewonderful. This exciting children’s book is a celebration of our world and what it’s like to live in it. My Very Important World is a vibrant encyclopedia for curious 5-9 year olds, with a unique approach to the subject that features both places from around the globe as well as focusing on what the world is like from a child’s perspective, covering everyday subjects about their own experiences. Unlike an atlas, this encyclopedia of discovery will entertain, educate, and inspire readers to wonder about the world around them. On one page they’ll read about their body and brain, on another they’ll learn about languages, food, culture, the environment, and on others, they can marvel at wonders of the Earth such as fiery volcanoes, sprawling cities, or a place called “The Rainbow Mountains”. My Very Important World allows readers to delight in discovering where the coldest place on Earth is, how many languages there are, why they sometimes feel scared, and much more. Full of fun facts, colorful illustrations, and games that will keep the kids entertained time again, this children’s encyclopedia is filled with age-appropriate knowledge on a range of terrific topics, with contents divided into six sections, covering: My World, The World Around Me, People and Culture, The Big Wide World, The Natural World, and Exploring The World. Celebrate your child’s curiosity as they: - Read hundreds of exciting facts - Learn all about amazing animals, people, and places - Discover the wonders of our incredible planet, and more Our encyclopedia for children is the perfect blend of adorable, simple illustrations with stunning photography and lively text. Encourage early learners to go on a journey to explore a world of information, making this the ideal first reference book for kids aged 5-9 to enjoy for hours on end, whether for homeschooling, a bedtime story, shared reading or reading alone, this fun fact book for children also doubles up as the perfect gift for curious kids who love to learn. Tell the story of the world one page at a time, by uncovering: - Educational content written in a friendly and fun manner - Beautifully padded cover with several high-quality finishes, including padding and foil - Features a built-in ribbon bookmark so you never lose your place whilst reading More in the Series My Very Important World is part of the educational kid’s book series My Very Encyclopedia series. Complete the series and nurture your child's curiosity with My Encyclopedia of Very Important Adventures, teach them about different species with My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals, or let them walk with the dinosaurs who ruled the earth before them in My Encyclopedia of Very Important Dinosaurs.

Museums in a Troubled World

Museums in a Troubled World
Author: Robert R. Janes
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2009-05-12
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1134041691

Are Museums Irrelevant? Museums are rarely acknowledged in the global discussion of climate change, environmental degradation, the inevitability of depleted fossil fuels, and the myriad local issues concerning the well-being of particular communities – suggesting the irrelevance of museums as social institutions. At the same time, there is a growing preoccupation among museums with the marketplace, and museums, unwittingly or not, are embracing the values of relentless consumption that underlie the planetary difficulties of today. Museums in a Troubled World argues that much more can be expected of museums as publicly supported and knowledge-based institutions. The weight of tradition and a lack of imagination are significant factors in museum inertia and these obstacles are also addressed. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, combining anthropology ethnography, museum studies and management theory, this book goes beyond conventional museum thinking. Robert R. Janes explores the meaning and role of museums as key intellectual and civic resources in a time of profound social and environmental change. This volume is a constructive examination of what is wrong with contemporary museums, written from an insider’s perspective that is grounded in both hope and pragmatism. The book’s conclusions are optimistic and constructive, and highlight the unique contributions that museums can make as social institutions, embedded in their communities, and owned by no one.

Lonely Planet 50 Museums to Blow Your Mind

Lonely Planet 50 Museums to Blow Your Mind
Author: Ben Handicott
Publisher: Lonely Planet
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015-05-23
Genre: Museums
ISBN: 9781760340605

Never drag your heels around a dull museum again. Boggle at the enormity of space, get nostalgic at childhood memories or be dumbstruck by the International Museum of Toilets. Whether you're a history buff, tech-head or have an inexplicable fascination with clowns, you'll find world-class collections here to pique your interests.