Baltimore museum curator Dick Horne is going to let you in on a secret: P.T. Barnum never said there is a sucker born every minute.
What he did, in fact, say is, “People love to be humbugged.”
If this makes sense to you, then you?ll appreciate Horne?s rare collection of oddities, assembled with theatrical flair in a brick row house in Baltimore called, appropriately, the American Dime Museum.And while it was reported at the end of 2005 that the museum would close due to lack of funding, Horne has kept his collection intact and opens his bizarre, circus-like sideshow for group tours, small parties and other scheduled events.
Historically, dime museums were 19th-century entertainment galleries whose purpose, in addition to making money for the owners, was to satisfy the Victorian fascination with the macabre. Titillating tidbits, such as shrunken heads, and assorted body parts of strange creatures, would beckon from behind painted “believe it or not” signs.
Collections of such oddities would occupy the curious for hours. Best of all, these wonders could be accessed for only a 10-cent admission fee, hence the name “dime museum.” In P.T. Barnum?s time, they were a grand attraction. His American Museum in New York contained more than 600,000 curiosities from all over the world ? everything from bearded ladies to two-headed sea creatures.
“Never mind that a great deal of the exhibits were ?gaff?? ” laughed Horne. Gaff is a term for fake, and in his museum ? like in the side-shows and freak shows of long ago ? the gaffs are displayed alongside the “real McCoys.”
For example, in his crowded first -floor gallery, Horn displays a magnificent framed pastoral scene created entirely from butterfly wings. It hovers above the Feejee mermaid, half sea creature, half beautiful maiden. Well, not exactly. The skillful sewing of a fish onto a real monkey skull creates the illusion.
“Most of the people who went to dime museums knew a lot of the exhibits were gaff,” Horne said.
Then, as today however, they are still entertained. Favorites in Horne?s vast collection include “Gum Lady” and Sea Wurm. Sound intriguing? Visit the American Dime Museum and check them out.
Where to see American Dime Museum
» Where: 1808 Maryland Ave., Baltimore
» Phone: 410-235-5093
» Hours: Open by appointment only
