<![CDATA[Museum Of Mortality - Blog]]>Sat, 29 Apr 2023 01:27:53 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Book Review: Childhood and Death in Victorian England by Sarah Seaton]]>Tue, 20 Oct 2020 18:00:00 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/book-review-childhood-and-death-in-victorian-england-by-sarah-seatonChildhood and Death in Victorian England by Sarah SeatonThis book is very detailed in the numbers and stories of what Victorian life was like for mothers and children of the time frame. Hearing accounts as if you were right there reading the stories from the newspapers themselves. We have forgotten what it was like to have children working the mines and the mills. They were expendable. We have come a long way, but if we do not remember the past we are doomed to repeat it. Amazing book, worth the read.
4/5 skulls
https://www.amazon.com/Undertaking-Life-Studies-Dismal-Trade/dp/0393334872/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KN0GK0YG3608&dchild=1&keywords=thomas+lynch+the+undertaking&qid=1601596298&sprefix=thomaas+lynch%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1
]]><![CDATA[Book Review: Disconnected from Death by Slaughter and Taylor]]>Tue, 13 Oct 2020 18:00:00 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/book-review-disconnected-from-death-by-slaughter-and-taylorDisconnected from Death by April Slaughter and Troy Taylor
This book is a major part of why we are working on building this museum in the first place. We have truly become so disconnected from death that is almost like a hidden enemy for us now a days. This book starts to really peel back the layers we have placed on death to keep it hidden from sight. If you love the idea about the museum, this is a book for you.

5/5 skulls

https://www.amazon.com/Disconnected-Death-Evolution-Funerary-Unmasking/dp/1732407908/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=disconnected+from+death&qid=1601597108&sr=8-1
]]><![CDATA[Book Review: The Undertaking by Thomas Lynch]]>Mon, 05 Oct 2020 18:00:00 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/book-review-the-undertaking-by-thomas-lynchThe Undertaking by Thomas Lynch

This is a collection of stories by an undertaker about his life in the funeral industry. Most stories are just like basic everyday stories with death attached, some cute, some funny, but mainly just bland type stories. I was hoping for more witty humor, or fun stories. It does have some good background as to the life of a funeral director. So if you are thinking of getting into the trade, this one is for you.
4/5 skulls

https://www.amazon.com/Undertaking-Life-Studies-Dismal-Trade/dp/0393334872/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KN0GK0YG3608&dchild=1&keywords=thomas+lynch+the+undertaking&qid=1601596298&sprefix=thomaas+lynch%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1
]]><![CDATA[Book Review- Human Remains by Helen MacDonald]]>Thu, 01 Oct 2020 23:43:09 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/book-review-human-remains-by-helen-macdonaldHuman Remains by Helen MacDonald

I purchased this for the history of dissection and it's histories, and was actually disappointed sorely. There was next to no history of dissection or it's history. It pretty much focused on the extinction of the Tasmanian people and how their skeletons became a hot commodity. No not much history.

2/5 skulls
https://www.amazon.com/Human-Remains-Dissection-Its-Histories/dp/0300116993/ref=sr_1_2?crid=14FKTAS4LVR9Q&dchild=1&keywords=helen+macdonald+human+remains&qid=1601595870&sprefix=human+remains+helen%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-2
]]><![CDATA[Uranium Glass]]>Mon, 13 Jan 2020 05:52:40 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/uranium-glassUranium glass is glass which has had uranium, usually in oxide diuranate form, added to a glass mix before melting for coloration. The proportion usually varies from trace levels to about 2% uranium by weight, although some 20th-century pieces were made with up to 25% uranium. Uranium glass was once made into tableware and household items, but fell out of widespread use when the availability of uranium to most industries was sharply curtailed during the Cold War in the 1940s to 1990s. Most such objects are now considered antiques or retro-era collectibles, although there has been a minor revival in art glassware. Otherwise, modern uranium glass is now mainly limited to small objects like beads or marbles as scientific or decorative novelties.
Most Uranium glass pieces that you find today are still radioactive, as Uranium decays slowly by emitting an alpha particle. The half-life of uranium-238 is about 4.47 billion years and that of uranium-235 is 704 million years, making them useful in dating the age of the Earth. Though alpha particles are fairly harmless to humans, even with long term exposure, these pieces will still emit long after humans are gone. Normal background range of radiation is between 0-50 cpm, Uranium glass will range from 50-100 cpm depending on the amount of Uranium in the glass.
Uranium Glass is mainly seen as black light reactive green, but there are other colors ranging from a pale yellow, to pink, to orange. The non-green ones are less in numbers so they are more highly sought after. Uranium glass has several nicknames including Vaseline Glass which has a similar distinctive color.
To read more about collecting: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/these-people-love-to-collect-radioactive-glass/?fbclid=IwAR2dJpVSbt3eQrE4nsvSaiBXriRtb1bhCZG9nEpilMEh_sfVr4v2U7YQ9G4
Here is some of our pieces we currently have for the museum.
]]><![CDATA[History of American Funeral Directing]]>Tue, 11 Dec 2018 19:00:00 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/history-of-american-funeral-directing​Looking for a good, all encompasing book about Funeral Directing…. This is it. This book is an actual text book for Funeral Directors school. I picked up the 6th edition and the 7th edition, though I read the 6th keeping the 7th in pristine order. There is so much information in it, I stopped flagging pages by page 30. I use highlighters and postit notes for information. Too much to keep flagging. This book is going to be a bible for me and the museum in so many ways. I hope to get my hands on more copies so I can sell them for the museum. Simply amazing, and for being a text book it wasn't dry for me.


5 out of 5 coffins

Amazon Link:  ​https://www.amazon.com/history-American-funeral-directing/dp/0960744606/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542688914&sr=8-2&keywords=history+of+american+funeral+directing]]><![CDATA[American Funeral Vehicles]]>Sun, 02 Dec 2018 19:00:00 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/american-funeral-vehiclesAmerican Funeral Vehicles by Walter McCall

This book has TONS of amazing photographs. Though I wish they had done more on the horse drawn hearse and how that led to the shape and changes for powered vehicles, this is a collectors book. You can see how things have changed over the years IN PHOTOS! I learned quite a bit from one book, but this gave me visual reference. If you love hearses, get this book. It is worth the money.

4 out of 5 coffins

Amazon Link: 

​https://www.amazon.com/American-Funeral-Vehicles-1883-2003-Illustrated/dp/1583881042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542688285&sr=8-1&keywords=american+funeral+vehicles+1883-2003
]]><![CDATA[Bellevue]]>Mon, 26 Nov 2018 19:00:00 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/bellevueBellevue- Hospital History by David Oshinsky

Bellevue Hospital in New York has a long and somewhat sordid history. This book covers in great depth it's life, growth, and story. Though dry at times it is interesting to read about one of the oldest, if not oldest hospital in the United States. It has great information on how medicine and the medical world changed over the years. It was ground zero for so much. Read this, then you will understand a bit more about the story "10 days in the mad house" by Nelle Bly.

4 out of 5 coffins

Amazon Link:  
https://www.amazon.com/Bellevue-Centuries-Medicine-Americas-Hospital/dp/0307386716/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542687353&sr=8-2&keywords=bellevue
Link for 10 Days: 
​https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Days-Mad-House-Nellie-Bly/dp/1519649266/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542687415&sr=8-1&keywords=10+days+in+the+madhouse
]]><![CDATA[Quackery]]>Tue, 20 Nov 2018 04:12:29 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/quackeryQuackery- A brief History of the worst ways to cure everything by Lydia Kang, and Nate Pedersen

This book is funny, though some of the language and assumptions made were not the best choice of language. It still has a TON of great information. It is broken down really nicely in small chunks of related materials. If you are interested in all things Quack medical, or just medical history in general, this is a good book to read. I enjoyed it because it was not as dry as most on this subject.

4 out of 5 coffins

Amazon Link: ​https://www.amazon.com/Quackery-Brief-History-Worst-Everything/dp/0761189815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542687241&sr=8-1&keywords=quackery
]]><![CDATA[Mortuary Confidential]]>Fri, 14 Sep 2018 17:00:00 GMThttps://museumofmortality.weebly.com/blog/mortuary-confidential​Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt by Kenneth McKenzie and Todd Harra

Cute collection of stories from those who work the graveyard shifts. A lot of good insight into their lives and how these people in the Death industry are just like you and me, ok well maybe not you. I know I am weird. This had quite a few chuckles from me while reading. The stories are short enough that you can pick it up and put it down easily. I reccomend if you are into weird stuff, like me.

I was hoping for more actual dirt though…

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Mortuary-Confidential-Undertakers-Spill-Dirt/dp/0806531797/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536728918&sr=1-1&keywords=mortuary+confidential


4/5 Coffins]]>