Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Obscura, NYC

Ben and I were down in New York City this past weekend. While we were there we spent some time walking around downtown and thought a visit to this store would be fun. Obscura Antiques and Oddities is a wildly unique store that focuses on antique medical and natural history objects. Strange surgical instruments, possibly even some for brain surgery, real human skeletons and mummified heads, and unique and old taxidermy. It was amazing!

This store is also the feature of a new show on the Science Channel that Ben and I have been watching called Oddities. If you haven't already seen it, I suggest you watch! It's so interesting. And strangely enough, we were only allowed to stay in the store for about 20 minutes before they kicked us out to film. The store is even tinier than it looks on TV and they needed some room to move. What were the odds that they'd be filming on that day? If you see a guy with a pinstriped suit and a pony tail on the show...he came in last Friday! lol

This mummified human head was the first thing to grab my attention. It even had eyelashes! The large domes flanking it were just as amazing and I immediately wanted them. Real birds in a natural history museum setting complete with dried grasses and plants. I reeeeeally wanted them...but their price tags were a tad high. :(

The small amount of floor space in the store brought you up close and personal with the old skeleton in the casket. It was dusty and amazing. I wonder who it belonged to and when they lived?

This strange orthopedic shoe was quite interesting too. I wonder who had to wear it?

Wouldn't you just love to have this entire display case in your living room? Those wax face casting at the bottom were calling my name too.

Interesting wall art...

A denture key chain anyone?

One of the most amazing stores I've ever been to. Next time we'll have to stay longer and hopefully find something to take home to add to my own collection of oddities! :)

4 comments:

Grace said...

hahaaha you make such "cute" things and to red this post I am hysterical. Ok "interesting" store but no inpiration please!! lol ok maybe for Halloween! I am afraid to go check it out. lol Thanks for sharing Grace xoox

kerry hawkins art and photo said...

OMG I have to go to this store!

BucksCountyFolkArt said...

I was just there this summer! And by sheer coincidence, I was channel-surfing the other day and came across oddities. I DVR'd it, but now there are none scheduled. I figured it was just a special that was running?

The store is SUPER small and comes off as much bigger on the show. I wondered how they even stayed in business! Yeah, some weird stuff, not really my kind of place, but definitely settles the morbid curiosity!

Jill

Me said...

You should check out the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. Talk about oddities!