East Bay Slimes

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THE ODDITORIUM // A woman in a feather boa leads you through a series of exhibits: monkey heads sewn onto fish, rubber fetuses jarred in formaldehyde, a headless chicken corpse. “Lived without her head for months, but she never heard the car,” she says in a sad tone. “You have fine tastes, I can tell. Follow me.” She takes you past curtains, into a small tent with no signs or ticket podium. Centered in the room: a veiled bird caged, domed & made of brass. Your host invites you forward. Inside the cage, a vampire bat hangs from a wooden perch. It squeaks at you, then its other head—a little slower—also squeaks. “Meet my beautiful baby boys, Laurel and Hardy.” With introductions over, Laurel goes back to sleep. Or maybe that was Hardy? Whichever one is still awake watches you with beady eyes. The curator curls her knuckles in anticipation. “Go on then! Don't be shy. Give them a little scratch, through the bars." Laurel and Hardy certainly share a fuzzy belly. They both squeak in appreciation of your affection. “I’m so proud. My big boys can drain a whole herd of cattle, twice as quick.”
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Odditoriums, characterized by their collection of unusual, "exotic", and sometimes bizarre artifacts, captivated the American public for well over a century. The 19th century saw the rise of traveling shows and circuses, where sideshows featuring people with rare medical conditions, unique physical appearances, or disabilities were, unfortunately, a common "attraction" for visitors to gawk at. These sideshows often exoticized and dehumanized people from non-Western cultures, presenting them as "curiosities" or "freaks" for the entertainment of predominantly white audiences. Many of these performers were exploited, paid very little, if at all, and had limited agency and choice.

P.T. Barnum's "American Museum" was one of the best known. Among its most infamous exhibits was the "Feejee Mermaid," a fabricated creature created by sewing a monkey's head and torso to a fish's tail. Some, like "Ward's Natural Science Establishment" founded in 1862, showcased fossils, minerals, taxidermy animals, & anatomical models, fostering a sense of scientific curiosity, while Philadelphia's Mütter Museum specialized in medical anomalies, boasting an assortment of pathological specimens, medical instruments, & anatomical oddities.

🖐️deep burgundy plush base
👃buttery-sweet popcorn, old fashioned taffy, aged wood, faded velvet, tantalizing spices from across the world, saffron, turmeric, musty incense, tarnished metal, witchy resins
+vibrant marbled rainbow clay brain dusted with shimmery gold and pink pigments; gaudy sequins, dollar bill fimos, bat glitters, spangly stars, pearls