museums are taking to social media to share the creepiest items in their collections after the UK’s yorkshire museum launched a weekly #curatorbattle on social media. the new initiative challenges museums and visitors to put forward objects related to a particular theme. the archeological museum started the competition after closing due to COVID-19 restrictions.

 

on friday, it kicked off last week’s informal competition with a picture of a hair bun from the burial of a roman woman in the third or fourth century. the image was shared with a call for museum experts to submit pictures of the creepiest objects in their collections.

 

 

 

the national museums of scotland responded with a germolene-pink ‘mermaid’ with googly eyes and rotting teeth. other replies include the german history museum, which submitted a 17th-century plague mask; oshawa museum, in ontario, canada, which offered a photograph of a creepy clown; the new york historical society with the death mask of former us vice-president aaron burr; and america’s first museum, the charleston museum’s hair-weaving table, including hair.

 

 

 

previous instalments included calls for the dullest, prettiest, and deadliest objects, as well as an easter-themed search for the ‘best egg.’ meanwhile, other museums have turned to social media and other online platforms in order to connect with visitors while they are closed, including the getty museum challenging people to recreate artworks with household items and MoMA, which has launched a series of free educational courses.