Another title to add to the list of the emerging genre of roadside
curiosity literature: "Atomic Marbles and Branding Irons: A Guide to
Museums, Collections, and Roadside Curiosities in Washington and Oregon"
by Harriet Baskas and Adam Woog, Sasquatch Books, Seattle, 1993. I agree
with the earlier comment about the folkloric value of roadside attractions
in this country. There's something oddly poetic about
Hunt's  Chain Saw Museum or the 2-1/2-pound hairball in the collection of
the Abbey Museum (both in Oregon and both from "Atomic Marbles"). Such
places reveal something intriguing about human nature, and certainly
about American culture. As to whether these establishments tend to tarnish
the carefully polished definition of "Museum" that AAM and museum
professionals prefer--I sincerely doubt it.
 
John Strand
Editor/Publisher
Museum News
American Association of Museums
202-289-9124