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December 05, 2005
Museum of Oddities Closing
There are museums full of paintings and there are museums full of dinosaur bones. Then there are museums of oddities. At least, there used to be. They're closing down left and right, and it turns out... it's not your fault.
The American Dime Museum in Baltimore is closing December 31st. This is a real shame--although I've never been there personally it sounds like a great collection. The culprit in the closing, however, was not lack of popularity. The Dime Museum gets great door, so to speak. The problem is that it's tough to get grants when your prize exhibits are "Victorian mourning jewelry" and the "fingerprints of famous chimpanzees."
All the money that's out there is tied up in supporting exhibitions of regional watercolorists and mega-exhibits about stuff you should have learned about in high school, like relativity or evolution or fucking Picasso, who's already hogging up half the art museum space in the country.
Just another example of how highbrow taste fascism screws over anybody who's into things a little off the beaten track, I guess. Maybe all the baby boomers will die some day (though not if they can help it) and we can stop oohing and ahhing over the same four Impressionist painters.
Oh well. If you're anywhere near Baltimore before 2006, make sure you check the place out. The American Dime Museum is located at 1808 Maryland Avenue.
By the way--talk about bad publicity. The Dime Museum's closing was picked up by a whole bunch of news outlets from the AP wire. Too bad none of them bothered to fact-check the article, which fails to give the museum's name anywhere in its text! Inconceivable, man. Just truly bad luck for a place that deserves a lot better.
UPDATE- Did I say fingerprints of famous chimps? Try FINGERPAINTING, which is even more interesting. Why did I make this mistake? I'm going to chalk it up to the same curse that kept the AP from actually naming the museum in its story.
Posted by Wellington at December 5, 2005 03:09 PM
Comments
I suggest your readers in the Baltimore, Washington, or Philly area check it out. It's a cool museum, and it'll be sad to see it go.
Posted by: anonymouscoworker at December 5, 2005 09:06 PM
We have some great odd stops in the Philly area as well, such as the world famous Mutter Museum. I really enjoy unsual places like this. Looks like I am going to be making a Baltimore run to hit this place up before the man shuts it down. A perfect opportunity to go knock a few back in Fells Point.
Posted by: Donny D at December 5, 2005 10:21 PM