Cabinets of Curiosities contained any number and variety of interesting items. These shelves hold a scientifically cataloged egg collection, a Bering Strait kayak and stoneware beer bottles from Polk Marine Park, among other items. (Bill Tennent)

Cabinets of Curiosities contained any number and variety of interesting items. These shelves hold a scientifically cataloged egg collection, a Bering Strait kayak and stoneware beer bottles from Polk Marine Park, among other items. (Bill Tennent)

Port Townsend museum’s Cabinet of Curiosities hopes to pique your interest

PORT TOWNSEND — Stuffed birds, bird eggs, shells and coral, a Bering Strait kayak, stonewater beer bottles, old medical equipment and other unique items will be on display at a new exhibit inspired by the Victorian era, “A Cabinet of Curiosities,” at the Jefferson Museum of Art &History.

The exhibit opens to the public today. It also will join the Art Walk on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Women’s Jail Cell Gallery.

The Jefferson Museum of Art &History, located at 540 Water St. in Port Townsend’s historic City Hall Building, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with an admission of $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $1 for children.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Cabinets of curiosities first appeared in the Renaissance as the forerunners of modern museums.

They included private collections that were significant to natural history, geology, ethnography, archaeology, religion, art or antiquities.

If the items seem random, arcane or unusual, it’s because many have never seen the light of day in the museum before, organizers said.

Becky Schurmann, collections manager and exhibits designer, thought the abundant collection of items from Albert W. Bash’s family would best fit in a cabinet of curiosities.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to get so many different, obscure things in the collection out and on display,” Schurmann said. “Some of these items are very interesting but have never been seen.”

Bash served as the collector of customs in Port Townsend from 1881 to 1885. He was accustomed to hunting game birds in China, so when he moved to Port Townsend, he shipped several species of Asian birds and released them on Protection Island. With President William Howard Taft’s approval, he rented the island as his own private hunting reserve.

Those exotic birds, now stuffed, will be on display.

His father, Henry Bash, worked as shipping commissioner. Henry asked captains sailing to the South Seas to bring him back a shell or piece of coral.

Their return on that promise also will be included in the cabinet.

The collection’s stock of bird eggs comes from Schurmann’s great-great-uncle. Scientist Wesley Bennet collected and classified eggs around the area.

Schurmann carefully photographed the eggs, copied the numbers and sent the information to Chris Wood, the ornithologist at the Burke Museum of Seattle. Wood was able to identify what type of birds produced the eggs from Schurmann’s records.

“This is a scientific collection, and he was collecting it in a scientific way,” Schurmann said.

Most of the medical tools, bottles and drills were donated by local nurse Jessie Pollard. Among them, a foot-powered dentist drill evokes pain upon imagination.

“It makes your teeth hurt just to look at it,” archivist Marsha Moratti said.

For more information, call Jenny Westdal at 360-437-0508.

________

Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in Entertainment

Block to be guest speaker at Port Ludlow Art League event

Leila Block will present “Touching Your Craft, Touching Your… Continue reading

From left, photographers Phil Tuaran, Ernst-Ulrich Schafer, Thompson Holmes and Richard Kohler will be featured in a photo show opening Tuesday at Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles.
Photography show to be featured at Field Hall gallery

Four photographic journeys will be chronicled beginning Tuesday at… Continue reading

Steven Park created this work in response to Diane Moser’s poem “The Attic Visit.” Both appear in the Ars Poetica show at Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery, which will host an art and poetry party Saturday. (Northwind Art)
Art and poetry party Saturday in Port Townsend

A celebration of art, poetry and inspiration will be… Continue reading

Squatchcon, fishing derby on tap this weekend

The fourth Squatchcon convention, the Second Saturday Art Walk and a kids… Continue reading

Ecstatic dance slated for Sunday at Studio Bob

Shelly Zollman will present the Joy of Movement at… Continue reading

Becky Stinnett’s photograph “Split Rock Tides” will be on exhibit at Harbor Art Gallery throughout April.
Solo exhibit to highlight Second Saturday Art Walk

Harbor Art Gallery and the Laura Cooksey Gallery are… Continue reading

Squatchcon to start four-day run Thursday

Squatchcon will return to Port Angeles for a fourth… Continue reading

Martin Justin David will host a grand opening for his new art gallery, Kreatia, on Friday.
Grand opening set for new gallery in Port Townsend

Martin Justin David will host a grand opening for… Continue reading

Readers Theatre to perform play at Olympic Theatre Arts

The Readers Theatre will present “I Smile at the Sun”… Continue reading

Port Angeles High School thespian society to stage ‘Mean Girls’

The Port Angeles High School Thespian Society will present… Continue reading

Ali Mohsenian
Jennifer Thomas of Sequim will play her first full show since 2019 on the Olympic Peninsula on May 10 at Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles. She’ll feature string players, surround sound effects, plus an additional ticketed meet-and-greet afterward.
Jennifer Thomas to bring ‘Oceans’ to Port Angeles

Meet-and-greet event, concert set for May 10

Music, art and roller derby slated this weekend

Music performances, art walks and a roller derby highlight this weekend’s events… Continue reading