Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2024 March 23

= March 23 =

museum to swizzle sticks
There may be swizzle stick collectors somewhere in the USA or the world. But I saw on the Internet a few of them are planning to open a museum to the aforementioned artifacts. Could that be true? Anyone know?2603:7000:8641:810E:9CFC:40DC:EDEC:79EB (talk) 01:04, 23 March 2024 (UTC)


 * As the Buddha once said, "Don't believe everything you read on the Internet." Shantavira|feed me 09:59, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
 * It doesn't take much to open a museum. Clean out your garage, put some objects for display on shelves and pedestals and put a sign saying MUSEUM over the garage door. --Lambiam 13:33, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
 * And a setup to collect admission charges. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 13:51, 23 March 2024 (UTC)


 * Well, there seems to be a Penis Museum in Iceland. Given the climes of this island, it may not be an outstanding cultural climax for visitations.  For all I know, they don´t even charge admission but collect emissions.  --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 15:57, 23 March 2024 (UTC)


 * The "Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata" in Austin, Texas has achieved a degree of fame (especially locally), though in some of its incarnations I'm not sure that there was even a dedicated garage -- just stuff on the walls in the rooms of a home where a couple lived.  (It's mentioned in the Marc Israel and List of museums in Central Texas articles, and was featured on the "Daytripper" public television show.)  A swizzle stick was a vital clue in the book "Ghost Hunter" by Jayne Castle.  Maybe the International Swizzle Sticks Collector Association mentioned on the Wikipedia "swizzle stick" article would know about museum plans... AnonMoos (talk) 17:01, 23 March 2024 (UTC)


 * A projected swizzle stick museum in LA is planned by one Pam Ashlund who is also the founder of the The Swizzle Stick Collectors Club, which "was a continuation of an historic organization, the International Swizzle Stick Collectors Association (I.S.S.C.A.)". Alansplodge (talk) 19:30, 24 March 2024 (UTC)

The Civet Cat
This British Museum catalogue entry refers to "The Civet Cat", with addresses in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and more, in the 19th century. eBay has examples of trade tokens giving it as an address, also.

What was it? Andy Mabbett ( Pigsonthewing ); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 20:05, 23 March 2024 (UTC)


 * One, at a London address was a pub in 1900. Sleigh (talk) 20:16, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Google gives lots of hits for the Bristol one being a herbalist/perfumery. Probably linked to Civet (perfumery). Nanonic (talk) 20:25, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Kendall & Son, Manufacturers and Importers of perfumes. At the Civet Cat. It means Kendall & Sons shops had a Civet Cat as a sign. A bit like John Lane publishing "at the Bodley Head". DuncanHill (talk) 22:33, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

Apologies, all - I have now added the link to the catalogue entry, in my original post. Note the reference to "various branches of The Civet Cat" Andy Mabbett ( Pigsonthewing ); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 22:59, 23 March 2024 (UTC)


 * The name appears to have been At the Civet Cat, four words. See e.g. here for the Birmingham branch. It shows that they did sell, next to perfumes, also French fancy articles, artificial flowers, beads, fans, jewellery, fancy cutlery, bracelets &c of the most novel patterns. Italian, German, French & English toys &c.
 * Unlike Nanonic, I do not get many ghits for the Bristol branch. I get only one, which is to the issue of The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post of 11 February 1837. It is behind a paywall, but the hit apparently concerns an ad for a sales (of perfumes?) occasioned by Kendall & Son saying farewell to retail. This is what I managed to wring out and reconstruct (with some uncertainty) from the OCR'ed text:
 * At the CIVET CAT, 43, WINE-STREET, Bristol. To be offered in Lots suitable to Purchasers at Prices infinitely lower than they can possibly come into the possession of either manufacturer or importer, and affords an opportunity to the Public of possessing articles of real excellence on such terms as may never occur again. Kendall & Son, in retiring altogether from the Retail in Bristol in consequence of having taken an extensive Whole??? ??? in the ??? of Germany, which will require the constant residence of one, and the active co-operation of others, of their firm, cannot do so without expressing their warmest gratitude to their numerous Friends and Customers for the ample support which they have ever received.
 * --Lambiam 07:46, 25 March 2024 (UTC)