Collecting – Read Watch Listen

The Innocence of Objects by Orhan Pamuk

This is an excellent book by Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk. He shares the story behind his book Museum of Innocence, a project that gradually became a quest for material objects to accompany the novel’s protagonists.

The actual museum exists physically in Istanbul, Turkey. This book is a nostalgic tribute to Pamuk’s upbringing in Istanbul and explores the narrative possibilities of tangible objects. You will get the most out of this nonfiction book if you read the novel first, but anyone interested in collecting will find it rewarding.

Museum of Life

This series is eye candy for all of us who love to go behind the scenes at the world’s largest natural history museum. As a collector you become mesmerized by the curious oddities found at The Natural History Museum, London. The countless stories of the origins of the vast collections are interspersed with explanations and insights of how the collections help to propagate biological knowledge.

The Origins of Museums by Oliver Impey and Arthur MacGregor

The best introduction for anyone who wants to know more about the historical background of today’s museums. This is academic research at its best!

Orchid Fever by Eric Hansen

A great nonfiction book, describing eccentric orchid collectors worldwide. The book is also a starting point for the history of plant hunters specializing in orchids and their cultural history.

Cabinets of Curiosities by Patrick Mauries

This is eye candy for anyone who – myself included – are in love with the age of curiosity collectors. The book gives a detailed account of the development of curiosity cabinets to date. A treasure chamber for anyone interested in oddities from the reals of culture and nature!