博物館怪奇事件簿

by Claire Cock-Starkey

昏暗燈光、強化玻璃櫥窗、動物標本、泛黃手稿和古代衣物及器具
你以為博物館只有這樣？事情沒那麼單純......

博物館標示錯誤、戰爭造成的文物損壞、白宮裡借來的名畫作
那些導覽員沒告訴你、書本上沒寫的博物館真相，一口氣全面公開！

如何定義一間博物館？
博物館的收藏原則是什麼？
比電梯還小的博物館在哪裡？
參觀漢普頓宮會聽到哭喊聲？
《蒙娜麗莎》被偷之後才成為世界名畫？
大英博物館的「神祕密室」裝著什麼？

「Museum」一詞取自希臘文「mouseion」，最初指的是向九位代表各藝術領域的繆思女神致敬之地，今天則指提供我們靈感、學習並感受藝術之美及文化歷史深度的空間。這些空間不僅帶給人們知識、藝術與文化，更是一處能夠自由解讀、探索這些物件於我們自身有何要義、滋養心靈的寶地。

從擁有多件世界名作的羅浮宮、大英博物館，到保有作家過往生活環境樣貌的故居博物館、讓人得以親近偶像的蠟像博物館以及紀念過往愛情的失戀博物館，本書收錄各博物館鮮為人知的驚奇祕辛，包括博物館的奇聞軼事、有趣的數據統計、著名藏品介紹、知名特色博物館歷史簡介以及幕後大小知識，讓我們在書頁中穿梭時空，遊覽古今中外的博物館之餘，也向這些迷人的寶地致敬。

Genres: History, Art, Nonfiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2020

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.