Under the tree, on the shelf

The good folks at Atlas Obscura have put together a lovely list of book gift ideas, including offbeat guidebooks, strange history, and curious collections — compendia of wonder for the curious wanderer and adventurous wonderer.

An aesthetic defined

I just came across this New York Times article from July, which pins down and gives a name to a style that's been gradually gaining a lot of momentum: the "New Vintage". So that's what you call it.

Flickr raid: Wondrous things

Strange Vintage Fictions photopool.








Wunderkammer photopool.








think over something photoset.








Imaginary Encyclopedia photopool.

From alien landscapes to wonder cabinets

Josh Foer of the Athanasius Kircher Society and Dylan Thuras of Curious Expeditions have teamed up to launch the Atlas Obscura, an ambitious, user-driven catalog of curiosities, wonders, and oddities around the world.

Random collections

Memory Palace. Assemblage art by Shiralee Saul.

Trade of the tools

Last week, a vampire-killing kit dated to the turn of the 19th century was sold at an estate sale for the sum of $14,850. I expect this price represents an excellent deal, as the savvy vampire hunter always waits until after the Halloween rush to snap up occult supplies at steep discounts. It's like 75%-off chocolate hearts on February 15th, or the free Christmas trees you can pick up on street corners all January long.

The well-appointed kit contains "stakes, mirrors, a gun with silver bullets, crosses, a Bible, holy water, candles and even garlic, all housed in a American walnut case with a carved cross on top."





This is not the first such antique vampire-hunting kit to turn up on the market in recent years. Boing Boing has recorded for posterity another vampire-slaying kit, purportedly from 19th century Romania, that was sold on eBay in 2006. From the auction description:

The knife is 13.1 inches long with a metal handle. It's made of heavy metal and can be easily thrown - it will always hit the target with the sharp tip. Has a gothic theme and detailing of fangs.

The metal box contains one syringe and it can be used to inject liquid garlic or secret serums into vampires. It has a small cross on it made of silver . The syringe can sustain temperatures up to 200 Celsius degrees. The cross is very old, with one beautiful black stone and is on a very old metal chain .

The metal teeth plier ( 7.5 inches ) was used in the past to remove the vampire's teeth. There is also a special tool called Dentol ( 5.5 inches ) used in the past to remove the vampire's teeth.





Then there's Professor Ernst Blomberg. This is the dedicated footsoldier in the War on the Undead whose name appears on many of the antique vampire-hunting kits that occupy prized spots in private collections and museum exhibits, and have lately been turning up at various auction houses and on eBay. Here is one of his creations that was reportedly originally sold at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, and more recently at Sotheby's, where it fetched $12,000 in an auction conducted on October 30th (that is, the day before Halloween) in 2003.

From the original description:

This box contains the items considered necessary for the protection of persons who travel into certain little known countries in Easter Europe where the populace are plagued with a peculiar manifestation of evil, known as Vampires... Professor Ernst Blomberg respectfully requests that the purchaser of this kit carefully studies his book. Should evil manifestations become apparent, he is then equiped to deal with them efficiently... Professor Blomberg wishes to announce his grateful thanks to that well known gunmaker of Liege, Nicholas Plombeur, whose help in compiling of the special items, the silver bullets,etc., has been most efficient. The items enclosed are as follows...

1. An efficient pistol with its usual accoutrements
2. A quantity of bullets of the finest silver
3. Powdered flowers of garlic (one phial)
4. Flour of Brimstone (one phial)
5. Wooden stake (Oak)
6. Ivory crucifix
7. Holy Water (one phial)
8. Professer Blomberg's New Serum





Here's another of Blomberg's kits that also sold for $12,000 to a Seattle man in a 1997 auction.





This one was donated in 1989 to the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where it currently resides. The attached description is nearly identical to the other Blomberg kits:

This box contains the items considered necessary, for the protection of persons who travel into certain little known countries of Eastern Europe, where the populace are plagued with a particular manifestation of evil known as Vampires. Professor Ernst Blomberg respectfully requests that the purchaser of this kit, carefully studies his book in order, should evil manifestations become apparent, he is equipped o deal with them efficiently. Professor Blomberg wishes to announce his grateful thanks to that well known gunmaker of Liége, Nicholas Plomdeur whose help in the compiling of the special items, the silver bullets &c., has been most efficient. The times enclosed are as follows.

(1) An efficient pistol with its usual accoutrements.
(2) Silver bullets.
(3) An ivory crucifix.
(4) Powdered flowers of gaelie.
(5) A wooden stake.
(6) Professor Blomberg’s new serum.





The Surnateum Museum of Supernatural History is home to another Blomberg kit. From the museum's description:

Vampire Killing Kit, second half of the 19th century
The pistol dates from the 18th century and was brought back from the expedition.
Brought back from an expedition to Russia and Mongolia in September 2001

The Vampire Killing Kit was sold by Professor Ernst Blomberg in the second half of the 19th century. The kit was made by Nicolas Plomdeur, a well-known gunmaker from Liège.

This particular box, which has been in the Surnateum's collection since the late 19th century, has recently been reunited with the accompanying pistol (made in Spain in the late 18th century, originally a flintlock but later converted to a percussion cap in the first half of the 19th century); the gun was lost under circumstances described below. Manufactured in two separate stages, it contains all of the accessories used to maintain the pistol, as well as a large bottle of holy water, small bottles which once contained Professor Blomberg's anti-vampire serum and garlic juice to impregnate the silver bullets, a small bottle of sulphur powder, whose odour could drive off vampires. A crucifix made of wood and copper, various blessed medals, a small bottle of salts, a copy of the 1819 book entitled Histoire des Fantômes et des Démons by Gabrielle de P. (see the Library).







Here's another.








And another. This one was sold through Stevens Auction Company and said to come from New Orleans.





Lina's Lookbook features two vampire-slaying kits that were up for sale from Sotheby's last year. There is no mention of Professor Blomberg in connection with these, but the description of the larger of the two, a French kit dated to about 1900, reads:

the box in solid mahogany, the hinged lid with a copper cross to the front, opening to a compartmentalized interior comprised of an ivory inlaid crucifix-shaped gun bearing the date 1591, lead bullets, a small glass bottle, a small power keg, a metal bullet mold, and a mahogany stake, with original paper label stating an attribution to Nicolas Plomdeur.






Of course, there is no Professor Ernst Blomberg, and these are not actually antiques. Michael de Winter, the creator of the original Blomberg kit, confesses.

My story starts in or around 1970 when I was employed in the printing industry. My hobby was buying, selling and refurbishing antique guns. I sold mainly at the famous Portobello Market in London. My usual stock of guns for sale was only 10-20 at any one time and these tended to be of superior quality. I had a number of regular clients who arrived every week to see if I had any new stock. One of my regulars wanted a fine flintlock pistol and asked me to take in part exchange a Belgian percussion pocket pistol. I grudgingly agreed and allowed him £15.00 off the price of the flintlock.

So, here it is, a poor quality pocket pistol in mediocre condition! What to do with it? That was my question. Having an extremely fertile imagination and being an avid reader, I was inspired. It occurred to me that I could produce something unique that would be a great advertising gimmick and would attract people to my stall. The Vampire Killing Kit was on its way.

De Winter cobbled together and sold the first vampire-killing kit, along with its note attributing the contents to the fictitious personages of Professor Ernst Blomberg and Nicholas Plomdeur, the Gunmaker of Liège, as a novelty item for £1000. The rest, he claims, are imitators — counterfeits of a forgery!

Then again, perhaps he isn't to believed, either. The Mercer Museum figures that its fake Blomberg kit dates to the 1920's, which would neatly preclude de Winter as the originator. Lies upon lies.

If these purported antiques, hoaxes, copies and forgeries auctioning in the tens of thousands baffle and bewilder you, perhaps it's time to turn to genuine, 100% authentic works of art. Alex CF is an assemblage artist who creates detailed, absorbing "cryptozoological scientific art" in the form of handsome boxed kits and framed collections. Among his many horror, antique, and steampunk-themed pieces are a number of fascinating vampire-related items, including, yes, a fully-stocked slaying kit.

This is the Vampiric Anatomical Biological Research Reliquary. An excerpt from the description and partial list of contents:

Called upon to look into the supposed intervention of demonic possession of a small child, bled to death whilst sleeping, an unnamed cleric found evidence of an all together more natural cause of death. A bite, where the murderer had drained the body of all fluid. Baffled by this hideous mystery the cleric took it upon himself to understand this unknown species. His travel altar became his reliquary of artifacts, a place to house the evidence he found whilst on his travels. Throughout Europe he traveled, tracing the roots of a dynasty unseen by man.

• The partial skull fragment of a Homo Wampyrus, housed within a glass display dome
• Optical apparatus: Multi armed magnifying lense device, with extendable mirror and vice amateur for examination of blood and bone fragments
• Foetal Homo Wampyrus
• Blood samples taken from 7 newly infected humans
• Slide comparison of human and vampiric blood
• Test tubes, spare tube
• Tissue sample
• Silver nitrate and its properties
• Glass specimen jars with garlic, various roots/samples
• Dried plant samples, for suppressing vampiric strain
• A dissecting kit within a metal tin
• A candle holder/spair candles wrapped in paper and string
• The teeth and blood from an ancient aristrocratic vampire, housed within a glass/brass box
• Extensive notes and anatomical studies, spair examination tools, scissors/scalpels etc.
• A small moleskine notebook, containing various notes/diagrams
• An envelope holding a collection of daguerreotypes (early photographs)
• A bible, a large crucifix, and a book of psalms, mere relics of his past belief
• A map, with needles and thread plotting his first journey to find the roots of the species
• A picture of Lady Bathory






This is the mysterious Vampire Legacy Box. No notes are provided on this intriguing item.





Finally, to round out this roundup: the French 19th Century Vampyr Hunting Case.

Early 19th century french vampyr hunting kit - family line unknown.







At least with these fine pieces, you know what you're getting. Caveat occisor.


Additional sources: quixoticals, Gizmodo, Curious Expeditions, Urban Legends

Halloween offerings

Once again, a colorful assortment of dark, frightful, and ghoulish things in celebration of the most fun holiday of the year. Once again presented in the eleventh hour. At least this year I got it put together before Halloween was over.

Enjoy!

Exhibits

I know we just went a couple of months ago, but how can I resist the chance to take you back for another visit to Surtateum, the Museum of Supernatural History? It's the perfect time to tour two of the museum's permanent collections: The Department of Witchcraft and Invocations and The Department of Demonology. Though still under construction, there are some interesting things to be found here: check out the collection of witches' grimoires in the Witchcraft exhibit, and read about the curse of the mummy and the gruesome artifact known as a "hand of glory" in the Demonology exhibit.





I would also like to guide you to a few selected galleries of artist Mark Ryden; I think his series Blood: Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear is just perfect for the occasion. Also don't miss the Blood Drawings, and if there's time, we might even stay to take in The Meat Show.




What's Halloween without some skeletons? Michael Paulus imagines the skeletal systems of beloved cartoon characters.




Games

Exmortis 2 is the eminently worthy sequel to the excellent Exmortis. In that game, a human avatar known as the Hand unleashed a plague of evil spirits on the earth, where they began to wreak total destruction. This game deals with the apocalyptic aftermath, as you must try to stop the incursion and send them back where they came from. Visuals, sound, effects, storyline, gameplay -- everything about this game is top-notch.
As an added bonus, there is a very nice, complete walkthrough/storyline recap, written by game creator Ben Leffler, at lazylaces.




Under "My projects", "Flash games" you'll find links Bat Company's series of horror games: Ghost Story, Factory of Fear, and Atrocitys. These are your classic lights-down, sound-up, jump-out-and-go-ahhhhh! haunted house games, each a bit longer, more interactive, and more technically sophisticated than the last. One of the nice features of these games is the background scenes, featuring original locations photographed by the game creators.




DeadEnd's Hotel is a very slick, professionally-produced game with a familiar room-escaper plot: having somehow lost your memory, you awaken locked in a strange hotel room, and must find a way out. It's in French only, but you can click the link that says "Little Translation" on the main page for help with the game's main puzzle clue, and the rest you should be able mostly to figure out. I have yet to see how it ends, being unable to survive a tricky arcade sequence near (what I assume is) the end of the game.
Walkthrough at trusty Nordinho.




Haunted House Massacre is a short, linear haunted house game. Decent atmosphere, despite some production shortcuts, and a nice use of 3-d models for the characters.




Hellgate Escape is a short horror game, grim despite the somewhat cartoonish graphics. It's timed, so you have to be quick as you find your way out of Hellgate, or grisly death will ensue.
Here is the lazylaces walkthrough.




Part I of From Heaven to Hell is a promising start to what will eventually be a much longer game. Aside from the traditional "explore-the-house" features, this game also includes equipped objects and a combat system. The story: a boy who lost his mother to mysterious causes is beginning to have strange nightmares. Then there are some monsters in the house...
There's a cursory walkthrough at the Gamershood Forums thread.




Nightmare Escape is a blood-spattered room-escaper in a familiar format. The riddles are a bit tricky.
Jay is Games has a walkthrough in the comments if you need it.




Cinema

Now showing at Google Video: Tim Burton's early classic Vincent, about a dark-souled seven-year-old who wants to be like Vincent Price. Don't tell me you haven't seen it yet.
In fact, I may as well show it here, at the Blue Tea Theater of the Obscure, and save you the trip.
EDIT: Switched to English version. Oops.




Grey Matter, a rather creepy Halloween tale from the The Other Side by Mata, whose other animations include the series Little Goth Girl. You can also view Halloween specials from past years, among others.




You may enjoy as a companion piece Jan Svankmajer's wonderful Claymation film Darkness, Light, Darkness, about a curious genesis.




Animation studio Childrin R Skary has many new animations since I linked to them last, whenever that was. They have a series of dark, gothic gems. You could try my favorite, El Despertar, about a flamenco-dancing zombie-charmer, or see something for the season, the Halloween-themed short Candy. But of course you're going to watch them all.




Blogs

I've recently added a new "Gothic, Fantastic, Macabre" category to the blogroll, which would be a good place to start if you're looking for some blogs with a suitable Halloweeny mood. There's La Main Gauche, for one, the wonderfully dark and fantastic blog that convinced me I needed this category in the first place (French-language, but the links are so good you'll get plenty out of it even without the text); Fantastic Animation, which is so in both senses of the word; Monster Brains, a beguiling parade of beasts, creeps, and creatures of all descriptions; and of course there's dear old Maktaaq, who's always going on about zombies, ghosts, horror movies, Transylvania, mad scientists, hampsters, and the like.

Last week was Death Week at the Athanasius Kircher Society, and you know what that means -- a delightful procession of some of the most outlandish, morbid, and fascinating things having to do with death and the deceased, like Victorian Post-Mortem Photography or the Body Baker, a Thai artist who sculpts frightfully realistic body parts out of bread.




For more haunts, see last year's Halloween post, Five haunted houses for more horror games, or explore some virtual cemeteries in Cities of the dead.