Museums Are Competing Over Who Has The Creepiest Exhibit, And Here Are 30 Of The Best Ones
Interview
Since its closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Yorkshire Museum in England has launched a weekly #curatorbattle on social media to challenge others to showcase their objects related to a particular theme. A couple of days ago, the museum posted a picture of a hair bun from the burial of a Roman woman in the third or fourth century, kicking off a new competition. This time, curators from all over were asked to share their most sinister possessions. And they delivered.
From a chilling plague mask and haunting dolls to a painted whale eardrum and beyond, museums have been responding to the #CuratorBattle with their #CreepiestObject and it's what horror movies are made about. Continue scrolling and get your share of nightmare fuel!
Image credits: YorkshireMuseum
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"The curator battle has been gradually building as more and more museums and the general public look at our Twitter feed every Friday to see what theme we're going to pitch," Millicent Carroll, digital engagement officer for the York Museums Trust, told Bored Panda in a statement.
"Last week's 'Best Egg' had replies from the Hermitage in Russia and the American Museum of National History, but the creepiest object has taken it to another level!"
Replies have come from the German History Museum, Oshawa Museum in Ontario, Canada, the New York Historical Society, and America's first museum - the Charleston Museum. It has also been popular in the UK, with museums such as the Imperial War Museum, Bank of England Museum, curators from the National History Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, and many Yorkshire museums getting involved.
Carroll said it is great for museums to be able to still share their collections with the public when their doors are closed.
The pandemic hasn't been kind to these establishments. For example, the York Museum Trust, a charity which runs several of York's museums, including the Yorkshire Museum, was forced to close all of them due to the coronavirus. "We have lost 70% of our income, as most of it comes from visitor admissions," Lee Clark, communications manager for the trust, added.
His last words were "Tell me, after my head has been chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from the stump of my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures." Trust me, he was creepier when he was alive.
"Social media is one of the few ways we can still engage with audiences so we have been working really hard to come up with innovative and interesting ideas to get people talking and learning about objects in our care," Clark explained.
And it looks like the staff is doing one heck of a good job. Their creepy object tweet has had nearly 10K likes and 4K retweets, gaining the Yorkshire Museum 2.6K followers over the weekend alone.
York Museums Trust has also created Museums From Home, a page on their website dedicated to ways people can get involved with its collections, buildings and stories while they're closed.Also, if you want to support the organization and all the wonderful things they're doing, consider donating through their website.
Also, if you want to support the organization and all the wonderful things they're doing, consider donating through their website.
Someone had a whole lot of fun putting this one together. I wonder how old it is and why it was made. To prove the existence of mermaids or to frighten the wits out of the kids after dinner?
Museum of fear and wonder. Sounds like my idea of a perfect heaven.
You are too young to remember dolls made of natural rubber. I left mine in a windowsill and returned to find her looking just like the picture. Wailed hysterically while Mum told me that good girls never cry. I was three.
And that’s why you now find “creepiest things“ wildly erotic and entertaining?
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I actually think that face is really sweet--the eyes look kind. With that said, I would not want it in my house.
Can you imagine tripping over that thing on a dark and stormy night? I'd go 0 to 100 km/h faster than a Ferrari.
The "Real" Annabelle... I'd throw this thing deep in an abyss somewhere and never look back!
Scold's bridle... see this https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/news/castle-objects-month-february-scolds-bridles/
I actually like this one, for bringing the completely unexpected to something as hopelessly mundane as a pincushion. Anyone up for a pincushion challenge?
"Oh, dum dee dum, what a great day of whale hunting! I wonder what I should do with this earlobe I cut off of it? Oh, I have an idea! Let's paint a super cool, not creepy, face on it!"
Ha! Another one! Was it all the rage to present proof that mermaids are real? A Victorian pastime?
Note: this post originally had 87 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I'm surprised there isn't anything from the Mutter museum here, just about EVERYTHING in it is creepy AF
My naturally mummified crow. (It's in a shadow box on my wall now.) IMG_0026sm...ab188c.jpg 
OK, got lead quite astray here. I was thinking two things at the same time. "How is that a mummified cow" and "A mummified cow in a shadow box on the wall???" and then it hit me. I skipped reading one little letter'r'. LOL
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I honestly didn't think the hair bun was all that creepy. People have been wearing extensions and the like for ages. A lady's got to look her best! Right?
I suspect that this wasn't a hair extension, but the lady's actual scalp and hair.
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Well, I saw it. I'm now more disturbed then I was before. Thank you.
Fantastic battle! I did have to take a break after about 30 pics, though. I do want to eat something today, at some point.
Yes, how about Madame Tussauds? There are so many creepy people in there. Look in their eyes!
Ask a Mortician fans reply in chorus: 'Bentham's Head!'
Load More Replies... I'm surprised there isn't anything from the Mutter museum here, just about EVERYTHING in it is creepy AF
My naturally mummified crow. (It's in a shadow box on my wall now.) IMG_0026sm...ab188c.jpg
OK, got lead quite astray here. I was thinking two things at the same time. "How is that a mummified cow" and "A mummified cow in a shadow box on the wall???" and then it hit me. I skipped reading one little letter'r'. LOL
Load More Replies... I honestly didn't think the hair bun was all that creepy. People have been wearing extensions and the like for ages. A lady's got to look her best! Right?
I suspect that this wasn't a hair extension, but the lady's actual scalp and hair.
Load More Replies... Well, I saw it. I'm now more disturbed then I was before. Thank you.
Fantastic battle! I did have to take a break after about 30 pics, though. I do want to eat something today, at some point.
Yes, how about Madame Tussauds? There are so many creepy people in there. Look in their eyes!
Ask a Mortician fans reply in chorus: 'Bentham's Head!'
Load More Replies...