Thanks to everyone who sent in requests for the murder bibliography. I
should point out that it was included in this year's AAM Sourcebook; if
you don't have that and don't want to wait for me to mail a cheesy xerox
copy, you might want to find someone with the Sourcebook and wheedle. It
never works for me, but it might for you. The session is also on tape
from the AAM meeting.
 
I have decided against posting the bibliography here because it is quite
long and my typing skills are about on a par with Mr. Ed's. Besides, I am
a collections geek, not a computer geek, at least not officially. If
someone more talented at this sort of thing than I wishes to put the
biblio on the list, it is OK with me. This was all done under AAM's
auspices (as well as the Texas Association of Museums), which should be
credited.
 
Now, two questions to get you started on the weekend:
 
1. I know that the University Museum in Philadelphia is hosting a murder-
at-the-museum event, with our very own co-panelist, Aaron Elkins, early
next year. Has anyone else had experience with this kind of thing? I know
that train and ship tours do it, B&B's do it, local drama groups do
it...but how many museums have hosted one of these participatory murder
dramas? How did you set it up? How did it work as a fund-raiser? What did
the community think? And how did you adapt it to fit your setting.? (And
how did you narrow down your list of victims?)
 
2. I was reluctant to bring this up until the recent ghoulish thread
convinced me that this is the right group, after all. My Esteemed
Colleague John Simmons and I have been batting around an idea for years
on the origin and development of grotesques in natural history, by which
we specifically mean the use of taxidermy or other techniques to create
fake creatures out of real parts. Jackalopes are the most benign
manifestation of this. We are familiar with the creations of Ruysch, the
illustrations of Guillaume de Rondelet, and the amazing Squire Waterton.
Anyone else got any comments on this? Earliest appearances, strange
creatures, credulous publics?
 
Sally Shelton
Collections Conservation Specialist
San Diego Natural History Museum