A Museum Miscellany

by Claire Cock-Starkey

Which are the oldest museums in the world? What is a cabinet of curiosity? What is on the FBI’s list of stolen art?

A Museum Miscellany celebrates the intriguing world of galleries and museums, from national institutions such as the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to niche collections such as the Lawnmower Museum and the Museum of Barbed Wire. Here you will find a cornucopia of museum-related facts, statistics, and lists, covering everything from museum ghosts, dangerous museum objects, and conservation beetles to treasure troves, museum heists and the Museum of London’s fatberg.

Bursting with quirky facts, intriguing statistics, and legendary curators, this book is the perfect gift for museum aficionados and collectors alike. 
 

Genres: History, Art, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

Published December 8, 2019

About the author

I started out in media, working at BBC Radio Four and Five Live before going on to work at LBC. From there I found my spiritual home working with Ben Schott, starting out as researcher on the Sporting, Gaming and Idling Miscellany. I went on to help develop the format for Schott’s Almanac, working as Assistant Editor on the first two books before rising to become UK & Series Editor on the four subsequent UK books, three German and three US editions.

Working with Ben I also had the opportunity to assist with various miscellaneous offerings for The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Conde Nast Traveller, New York Times, Vanity Fair and Smythson diaries.

After producing a small team of children I decided it was time to set up on my own, so since 2011 I have been busily working as a freelance writer and editor – juggling writing books and articles, project managing a vast array of Lego building operations and editing and indexing a number of non-fiction titles.

I am happiest perched in the British Library reading rooms surrounded by a pile of obscure and fascinating books researching my next offering.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book (and its 2 companion books) is a great read on as the title says miscellany of topics all around the them of Museums. This is really a little book on facts and figures (as the author themselves acknowledges if nothing else you will have a wealth of knowledge for the pub quiz).

But seriously if you love obscure details and numbers on what is often an over looked topic this books perfect. I guess myself like many others make assumptions and as the saying goes "familiarity breeds contempt" so that you do not appreciate what is there in front of you.

A great read and along with the other two volume (on books and libraries) its a great set and certainly one I will be going back to in the future

[W.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

覺得不是很有趣……因為他其實真正說的「故事」都很短，更接近是本索引書，讓人看了一點點傳聞之後可以試著去查資料。但做為非常淺碟的索引書還算是收集了不少，這樣。

[Lynsey Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahhh yes, this is a lot better than the authors book on libraries I just read.

Here we have weird and wonderfully weird facts; facts about haunted museums, about weird bits of bodies that museums keep, all the sexy objects they hid away, and by far my favourite fact of the day, where the term mad hatter comes from.

We get a good selection of museums (and galleries for that matter) from across the globe, from the smallest to the biggest with everything you can imagine in between. We learn how most museums were made by Europeans going adventuring and exploring and nicking other peoples stuff and how it all started from the wonderful concept of a Cabinet of Curiosities.

Bring back the Cabinet of Curiosities says I.

Yes, there are a few sections that are number and statistic heavy as seen in the last book, but these where thankfully few and far between and Ms Cock-Starkey limited herself to the actual interesting world of museums and what inhabits them.

A lovely wee read for the museum fan in your life.

[ShaunaLabhaoise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, easy Eurocentric read (whilst acknowledging global museum patterns and finds, it studies European/American museums in a greater depth). A nice base point for researching further topics but does not follow any sense of topographical order, instead just jumping from one area of study to another.

[Otone · Rating 1 out of 5]

A slim volume dipping into major themes on museums through a UK-centric POV (very little on museums outside Europe except for the U.S.A.), with a bizarrely abrupt ending and some interesting facts.

[Drucilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars. This was a neat little book. A bit more high brow than your average trivia book. I really liked the way it was laid out.

[Morgan Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a collection of random museum facts really.
Good for light reading such as on the train or toilet.