Using an object from the German Historical Museum as a starting point, Shan and Jaybee explore the history of PPE through the lens of the Plague Doctor. Was the bird-like figure as prevalent as we have been led to believe? And when was the outf

011 - The House on the Rock

Sep 3rd, 2018 1h 19m

A special guest host and a physical manifestation of an acid trip, we cover the famous roadside attraction The House on the Rock, this time on Curio! Shan loves the place - and it turns out, so does famed museum consultant Beverly Serrell! Ther

010 - The Skylight Caper

Aug 13th, 2018 47m 27s

Another heist episode babyyyy! On Labour Day Weekend 1972, three thieves made off with 2 million dollars worth of art and jewelry from the Montreal Museum of Fine Art in Canada's largest art heist - and it's never been solved. Shan walks Jaybee

009 - Arsenic and Old Paint

Jul 27th, 2018 53m 48s

How many poisons are there lurking in museums? A lot. But mostly it's arsenic. From taxidermy to cosmetics, arsenic is everywhere! But the most striking examples are the beautiful pigments and dyes made from arsenic. This week on Curio, Shan in

008 - Fern Fever

Jul 13th, 2018 45m 43s

Pteridomania: an excessive love of ferns.This week Shan walks Jaybee through the crazy chain of events, from a guy named Ward just trying to watch a moth emerge from a pupa, through the breaking of monopolies, the first female photographer, t

007 - The Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health

Jul 7th, 2018 35m 12s

About half the population menstruates. Is it weird that the museum about menstruation is run by someone who doesn't? Maybe! But we think he does a good job of it. Jaybee is maybe a bit uncomfortable but like a true ally he sticks it out and has

006 - The Kinect Heist

Jun 15th, 2018 37m 36s

It's a heist!!! Shan talks about her favourite museum heist (so far): the "theft" of the bust of Nefertiti from the Neues Museum, Berlin. From the unearthing of the bust in the early 20th century to its theft via Kinect camera in 2016, it's a s

005 - Oops, That's a Person

Jun 8th, 2018 48m 55s

A lot of museum stuff is old. Including the displays. They hide... secrets. Shan regales Jaybee with four tales of human remains showing up in exhibits where they should not have been. Warning: this episode deals with death and desecration of

004 - Doomtown Mannequins

May 25th, 2018 59m 40s

It's da bomb. Shan and Jaybee launch into the nuclear age, learning all about the Nevada Test Site and the development of radioactive technology, and how it relates to a host of irradiated mannequins of the National Museum of Atomic Testing. Le

003 - Jumbo the Elephant

May 11th, 2018 13m 52s

Jaybee's away this week so it's 100% Shan time. Learn about Jumbo the Elephant, P.T. Barnum, and his involvement in one of the greatest pissfights in museum history. Resources:McLellan, Andrew. (2012). P.T. Barnum, Jumbo the Elephant, an

002 - The Burke Pocketbook

May 4th, 2018 55m 35s

Shan fills Jaybee in on all the gruesome details of the Burke and Hare murders, and the horrific ways they're remembered in some museum collections. We're talking human leather (ew). Grave robbing, dissection, and human salads. Listen if you da

001 - The Museum of Jurassic Technology

Apr 27th, 2018 53m 28s

Shan tells Jaybee all about the fascinating and bizarre Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, California: the museum's history, accordion-playing curator slash director David Wilson, and a few of the most puzzling exhibits. Sources

Rate