Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Obscura Antiques and Oddities, NYC








Long before Cabinets of Curiosity made their way to Barney's, Damien Hirst unveiled his diamond-encrusted skull, and Marilyn Manson made news for his compulsive collecting of dead children, there was Obscura Antiques and Oddities. Less a store than a museum you can shop at, Obscura, located in the East Village, is, by far, my favorite shop in New York City.

Stock varies, but on a given day, here are some things you're likely to come across: anatomical models, memorial photographs, medical art prints, taxedermied pets, shadow boxes, fraternal organization memorabilia, prosthetic limbs, victorian mourning jewelry, magic lantern slides, collections of pinned insects, funeraral ephemera, stereoscopopic cards, carnival castoffs, two headed fetal pigs, a jar of worms, corsets, top hats, glass fronted cabinets, victorian vitrines ... the list goes on. Don't be intimidated by their celebrity clientele (they feed the habits of The Sedarises and Chloë Sevigny, among others) or the uber-hip east-village customers you might see within; the proprietors are very friendly and extremely knowledgable, and you'll probably leave knowing something you didn't know before. See above photos for details of merchandise over the past few years.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this post, the pictures are amazing! I'd be interested in hearing more about Barney's - do they have cabinet of curiosities-style window displays? Someone told me Selfridges and Printemps are doing it too.

Anonymous said...

I love this shop, though I've only visited it once, earlier this year. I really (really, really!) wish they listed things for sale online.

bioephemera said...

Oh, I want to go THERE.

Brett Loudermilk said...

I second that, the owners are wonderful people and great to do business with.
Super friendly and a great atmosphere.

Anonymous said...

Obscura is AMAZING...Evolution is Soho is worth checking out too...as well as Necromance.com (in L.A.)

Anonymous said...

I finally find my dream shop and it's on the other side of the nation. :(

gretchen said...

I over on the left coast, but if I am every close, your place is already on my list to visit along with the Museum of Natural History and a few more places along that line....