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Morbid Curiosities: Collections of the Uncommon and the Bizarre
Morbid Curiosities is an insight into the strange world of collectors of the macabre. Centred on 15 collections, with extensive interviews with each collector and specially shot imagery detailing their objects, this is a fascinating showcase of bizarre and intriguing objects.
Included are collections of skulls, mummified body parts, occultic objects, and various carnival, side-show and criminal ephemera. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time.
Included are collections of skulls, mummified body parts, occultic objects, and various carnival, side-show and criminal ephemera. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2016
22 people are currently reading
2083 people want to read
About the author
Paul Gambino
22 books27 followersPaul’s first book, SCRAP CITY: SCRAPBOOKING FOR SUBURBAN DIVAS AND SMALL TOWN REBELS (SOHO Publishing, 2006), was a semi-finalist for the Independent Publisher Book award in the Hobby/Crafts category and was touted as giving the craft of scrapbooking a youthful, cutting-edge makeover.
Paul has been an avid collector of the bizarre for over 20-years with an extensive collection of Victorian memorial photographs, antique funeria, mug shots and vintage religious items (including a life sized St. Sebastian and Virgin Mary salvaged from a 19th century church in Pennsylvania). The past two decades of serious collecting has allowed Paul to gain the trust of some of the world’s largest macabre collectors. These relationships have allowed Paul to have his second book published, MORBID CURIOSITIES: COLLECTIONS OF THE UNCOMMON AND THE BIZARRE. Amazon sums the book up like this; Morbid Curiosities is an insight into the strange world of collectors of the macabre. Centered on 18 collections, with extensive interviews with each collector and specially shot imagery detailing their objects, this is a fascinating showcase of bizarre and intriguing objects.
Included are collections of skulls, mummified body parts, occult objects, and various carnival, sideshow and criminal ephemera. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time.
Included are collections of skulls, mummified body parts, occult objects, and various carnival, side-show and criminal ephemera. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time.
Paul has been an avid collector of the bizarre for over 20-years with an extensive collection of Victorian memorial photographs, antique funeria, mug shots and vintage religious items (including a life sized St. Sebastian and Virgin Mary salvaged from a 19th century church in Pennsylvania). The past two decades of serious collecting has allowed Paul to gain the trust of some of the world’s largest macabre collectors. These relationships have allowed Paul to have his second book published, MORBID CURIOSITIES: COLLECTIONS OF THE UNCOMMON AND THE BIZARRE. Amazon sums the book up like this; Morbid Curiosities is an insight into the strange world of collectors of the macabre. Centered on 18 collections, with extensive interviews with each collector and specially shot imagery detailing their objects, this is a fascinating showcase of bizarre and intriguing objects.
Included are collections of skulls, mummified body parts, occult objects, and various carnival, sideshow and criminal ephemera. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time.
Included are collections of skulls, mummified body parts, occult objects, and various carnival, side-show and criminal ephemera. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 7, 2018
Mixed bag. The book itself is great, and the photos are good. But.
The captions for the photos are all fucked up. Half the time I'd think I was reading a caption referring to a pig fetus in a jar, when really it was a malformed human fetus I was hearing all about. They were awkwardly written and placed.
But, okay, that's not really the big deal here. There are a few big deals, and that's not really one of them.
Big Deal 1: The people profiled here, with a few exceptions, were super uninteresting. If I was being a dick about it, I'd say they collected shit instead of developing personalities. It's possible they were being coy and unsure about being interviewed, and if that's the case, cool, but skip the interviews.
Big Deal 2: There's a dulling effect as you go through the book. If you knew one of these people, they'd be the biggest weirdo you knew. But compiled into a book together, each one doesn't seem all that much of an individual. All the women were like a grown-up Wednesday Addams, some with tattoos and bangs, and all the dudes were somewhere between hipsters and bikers, and everyone was some kind of a designer, tattooer. And how many skulls do you have to look at before you start yawning? A couple dozen, apparently.
Big Deal 3: Some of these collectors are...kinda heinous. I'm not going to judge based on the mere fact of having human body parts as part of your collection. A good example though, one collector said "fans" of his brought him a human head that they said they "found" in a graveyard the night before when it was raining and a head was washed out of the ground. That's about the biggest buncha bullshit I ever heard. Were they visiting him in the midst of a fucking hurricane? But then the collector didn't take it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. BUT THEN the collector took pains to say he didn't take it because it was heavy, wet, could carry disease and was probably infested with maggots. Basically, he didn't take it because the quality wasn't up to his standard, not because some asshole kids probably dug up a grave. Also, for being a collector of the macabre, he should know that he's less likely to get sick from a rotting head than from the humans who brought it to him (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw7bs...). Unless they then dumped it in the town's water supply. Then you'd be fucked.
Big Deal 4: The ethics. Some of these collections are pretty unethical in my eyes, and I'm not the most ethical person in the world. There are just some items that don't belong to the individuals who possess them. For example, you have a grave marker in your house? With a person's name on it? That shit has been labeled and clearly belongs to someone else. You might not be able to ever find that person, but it's still pretty obvious it's not yours. These are the assholes who find a wallet with a picture ID in it and don't bother. Now, something like a deformed fetus in a jar that toured the States for 30 years as part of a freakshow, that I don't have as much of a problem with. Because, eh, you're never going to figure out where that dude belongs, plus being in a private home is better than being on tour. Not perfect, not ideal, but when we're talking about a pretty fucked up history, it's at least better. SEE, that's how unethical I am, I have no problem with a preserved punk in someone's house, but a gravestone is taking things too far.
Big Deal 5: Everyone in this book was asked a version of how others react to their collections. And they're like, "I don't care. People think it's weird, or that I'll be a killer, but I just move on with my life." I think they've misinterpreted the problem. Because as I see it, the problem isn't that I'm afraid you'll be a killer. It's that if you don't see a problem with having a "reclaimed" child's coffin in your house, which you use as an ottoman, then I'm forced to wonder whether you make good voting decisions, don't leave your garbage in the hallway of your apartment building, and should be generally trusted (by the way, quick rant: I knew someone who left their garbage on the front porch until their HOA complained about it. I normally think HOA's are a bunch of assholes playing student council, but leaving trash just outside the door is a pet peeve of mine. It's too rank to be in your house, but not so rank that it warrants a trip ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY? What the fuck? It's even worse in an apartment building. I get it, you don't want to go all the way downstairs and outside, but fuck me, the solution is to share with your neighbors? C'mon). Point being, I'm not afraid you'll start "collecting" me or something, I just don't know if you make great decisions.
Big Deal 6: The weirdest part of this whole book, there's this taboo in the book around collecting things that "glorify" modern serial killers. There was one lady with a serial killer collection, letters, pictures, art they'd done.
By the way, before I talk more about the taboo, this fuckin' lady, she had a hand tracing done by Richard Ramirez, which I guess he did a lot of. She lost it, asked him for another, he obliged, and she LOST THAT ONE TOO! Seriously?
Anyway, it was kinda funny that some of these collectors would be showing off their shrunken head from Borneo or something, and then they'd turn up their noses at collecting stuff from serial killers. I didn't get that one.
Big Deal 7: I was hoping for more variety. There was one collection of gas masks and weird head gear, including a gas mask for a horse, which was weird and interesting, and there was one of ouija-type boards and planchettes, which was also different, but SO MANY of these collections were bones, skulls, hair, fetuses, and so on.
Big Deal 8: For having such unusual collections and being such individuals, these folks all displayed their shit in almost the exact same way. At least manufacturers of velvet drapes still have something to do once movie theaters entirely shut down.
The captions for the photos are all fucked up. Half the time I'd think I was reading a caption referring to a pig fetus in a jar, when really it was a malformed human fetus I was hearing all about. They were awkwardly written and placed.
But, okay, that's not really the big deal here. There are a few big deals, and that's not really one of them.
Big Deal 1: The people profiled here, with a few exceptions, were super uninteresting. If I was being a dick about it, I'd say they collected shit instead of developing personalities. It's possible they were being coy and unsure about being interviewed, and if that's the case, cool, but skip the interviews.
Big Deal 2: There's a dulling effect as you go through the book. If you knew one of these people, they'd be the biggest weirdo you knew. But compiled into a book together, each one doesn't seem all that much of an individual. All the women were like a grown-up Wednesday Addams, some with tattoos and bangs, and all the dudes were somewhere between hipsters and bikers, and everyone was some kind of a designer, tattooer. And how many skulls do you have to look at before you start yawning? A couple dozen, apparently.
Big Deal 3: Some of these collectors are...kinda heinous. I'm not going to judge based on the mere fact of having human body parts as part of your collection. A good example though, one collector said "fans" of his brought him a human head that they said they "found" in a graveyard the night before when it was raining and a head was washed out of the ground. That's about the biggest buncha bullshit I ever heard. Were they visiting him in the midst of a fucking hurricane? But then the collector didn't take it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. BUT THEN the collector took pains to say he didn't take it because it was heavy, wet, could carry disease and was probably infested with maggots. Basically, he didn't take it because the quality wasn't up to his standard, not because some asshole kids probably dug up a grave. Also, for being a collector of the macabre, he should know that he's less likely to get sick from a rotting head than from the humans who brought it to him (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw7bs...). Unless they then dumped it in the town's water supply. Then you'd be fucked.
Big Deal 4: The ethics. Some of these collections are pretty unethical in my eyes, and I'm not the most ethical person in the world. There are just some items that don't belong to the individuals who possess them. For example, you have a grave marker in your house? With a person's name on it? That shit has been labeled and clearly belongs to someone else. You might not be able to ever find that person, but it's still pretty obvious it's not yours. These are the assholes who find a wallet with a picture ID in it and don't bother. Now, something like a deformed fetus in a jar that toured the States for 30 years as part of a freakshow, that I don't have as much of a problem with. Because, eh, you're never going to figure out where that dude belongs, plus being in a private home is better than being on tour. Not perfect, not ideal, but when we're talking about a pretty fucked up history, it's at least better. SEE, that's how unethical I am, I have no problem with a preserved punk in someone's house, but a gravestone is taking things too far.
Big Deal 5: Everyone in this book was asked a version of how others react to their collections. And they're like, "I don't care. People think it's weird, or that I'll be a killer, but I just move on with my life." I think they've misinterpreted the problem. Because as I see it, the problem isn't that I'm afraid you'll be a killer. It's that if you don't see a problem with having a "reclaimed" child's coffin in your house, which you use as an ottoman, then I'm forced to wonder whether you make good voting decisions, don't leave your garbage in the hallway of your apartment building, and should be generally trusted (by the way, quick rant: I knew someone who left their garbage on the front porch until their HOA complained about it. I normally think HOA's are a bunch of assholes playing student council, but leaving trash just outside the door is a pet peeve of mine. It's too rank to be in your house, but not so rank that it warrants a trip ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY? What the fuck? It's even worse in an apartment building. I get it, you don't want to go all the way downstairs and outside, but fuck me, the solution is to share with your neighbors? C'mon). Point being, I'm not afraid you'll start "collecting" me or something, I just don't know if you make great decisions.
Big Deal 6: The weirdest part of this whole book, there's this taboo in the book around collecting things that "glorify" modern serial killers. There was one lady with a serial killer collection, letters, pictures, art they'd done.
By the way, before I talk more about the taboo, this fuckin' lady, she had a hand tracing done by Richard Ramirez, which I guess he did a lot of. She lost it, asked him for another, he obliged, and she LOST THAT ONE TOO! Seriously?
Anyway, it was kinda funny that some of these collectors would be showing off their shrunken head from Borneo or something, and then they'd turn up their noses at collecting stuff from serial killers. I didn't get that one.
Big Deal 7: I was hoping for more variety. There was one collection of gas masks and weird head gear, including a gas mask for a horse, which was weird and interesting, and there was one of ouija-type boards and planchettes, which was also different, but SO MANY of these collections were bones, skulls, hair, fetuses, and so on.
Big Deal 8: For having such unusual collections and being such individuals, these folks all displayed their shit in almost the exact same way. At least manufacturers of velvet drapes still have something to do once movie theaters entirely shut down.
December 8, 2016
The book itself is a beautiful object, with great attention to detail: matte black binding with a pastedown photo on the front board, black-finished edges all around, quality paper (not glossy) with lots of good photos. And there are some pretty neat objects along the way. But for me, there's too much emphasis on the (often not very interesting) people who accumulate these objects and not enough on the objects themselves.
August 23, 2018
If you're into creepy things, strange history, and left field interests then you'll probably dig this book. If you like photographs of historical anomalies, items with disturbing backstories, or esoteric relics then you'll probably also dig this book. If you're easily offended or don't like looking at images of death and murder then you should probably skip it. Personally, I loved it.
February 25, 2025
Even one star is to much for this vanity publication for some very boring individuals in the USA who make money selling stuff that only counts as morbid if you have never seen anything old or believe anything in a vaguely late Victorian 'Gothic' style (they wouldn't recognise true 18th century 'Gothick' if it bit them) is mysterious and 'spooky'. The actual paucity of either intellectual or stylistic knowledge of people whose idea of what is curious or interesting, never mind creepy, comes from old episodes of The Adam's Family TV show is to pathetic to be even laughable.
I am sorry to be snobby towards Americans but only someone with no experience of anything older than the 1960s could even call these things morbid - old medical models and teaching aids, gas masks (? - most people in Europe have grandparents still living who might used those things) lots of Catholic kitsch - and masses of skulls and skeletons - none of this stuff is morbid.
What is morbid and offensive is the collector who writes to 'true crime killers' because she doesn't think the murderers have been heard. So she has paintings, letters and photos of, amongst others John Wayne Gacey - I won't dignify how repellent I find that collector - the problem is not that people like Gacey haven't been heard - we are drowning in the bullshit of these monsters - the people who we don't hear, don't remember and whose stories, never mind names, are unheard are the 33 young men he killed. To collect and display the tribal artifacts of these killers is not 'dark' or 'creepy' it is OBSCENE!
Also when one of these collectors says as a 15 year old his grandfather, a USA diplomat, took him to Kenya and watched him negotiating with tribal leaders my bullshit detector was ringing loud and clear for all Americans wanting to make exciting stories taking place Africa you should remember that in the 1950s Kenya - was a colony of Britain's - no USA diplomats would have been involved - also neither in Kenya in the 1950s nor anywhere in Africa at anytime was cannibalism practised as a means or nourishment. That he suggests otherwise confirms his latent racism, fascism and cultural insensitivity. That is further demonstrated by the numerous items from everywhere from Peru to Borneo that are clearly looted objects of varied religious purposes and again it is offensive to see them used to create a 'spooky' atmosphere for the collector and his trailer trash associates.
A utterly tasteless and disturbing book.
I am sorry to be snobby towards Americans but only someone with no experience of anything older than the 1960s could even call these things morbid - old medical models and teaching aids, gas masks (? - most people in Europe have grandparents still living who might used those things) lots of Catholic kitsch - and masses of skulls and skeletons - none of this stuff is morbid.
What is morbid and offensive is the collector who writes to 'true crime killers' because she doesn't think the murderers have been heard. So she has paintings, letters and photos of, amongst others John Wayne Gacey - I won't dignify how repellent I find that collector - the problem is not that people like Gacey haven't been heard - we are drowning in the bullshit of these monsters - the people who we don't hear, don't remember and whose stories, never mind names, are unheard are the 33 young men he killed. To collect and display the tribal artifacts of these killers is not 'dark' or 'creepy' it is OBSCENE!
Also when one of these collectors says as a 15 year old his grandfather, a USA diplomat, took him to Kenya and watched him negotiating with tribal leaders my bullshit detector was ringing loud and clear for all Americans wanting to make exciting stories taking place Africa you should remember that in the 1950s Kenya - was a colony of Britain's - no USA diplomats would have been involved - also neither in Kenya in the 1950s nor anywhere in Africa at anytime was cannibalism practised as a means or nourishment. That he suggests otherwise confirms his latent racism, fascism and cultural insensitivity. That is further demonstrated by the numerous items from everywhere from Peru to Borneo that are clearly looted objects of varied religious purposes and again it is offensive to see them used to create a 'spooky' atmosphere for the collector and his trailer trash associates.
A utterly tasteless and disturbing book.
May 29, 2017
A beautiful book full of fascinating people and their odd or macabre collections of skeletons, wet specimens, art, weapons and more. I would love to visit their homes and see these collections in person and get to know the people behind the collections, for they too were interesting and unique individuals who live for themselves and could care less what others think of their odd interests and hobby.
August 5, 2018
This was an incredibly interesting book! Not one to read while it's 12am and you are easily creeped out, that's for sure! I personally got really scared from all the mummy stuff, but that's because I'm terrified of them, haha!
Some guys were absolute douchebags though, trynig to prove how "edgy" they were and that really put me off, but other than that it was a quite fun book!
If you are into creepy things or are a collector yourself, this is a really fun book to read/look at!
Some guys were absolute douchebags though, trynig to prove how "edgy" they were and that really put me off, but other than that it was a quite fun book!
If you are into creepy things or are a collector yourself, this is a really fun book to read/look at!
March 21, 2017
Squeamish be warned, as this book is not for the faint of heart. As the title suggests, this book profiles collectors of the bizarre, which more often than not means morbid and macabre. Eighteen collectors are profiled. Each profile includes a photo of the collector, and some introductory paragraphs about them, how they came to collect the things they collect, their greatest treasures, and the items that got away. Fascinating pieces from the collections are profiled in full colour. The stories behind some of the pieces are fascinating.
Many of the collectors have taxidermied and embalmed items, as well as human and animal skulls, and shrunken heads! There are also collections of Ouija boards and planchettes. The only collection I found troubling was the one of serial killer memorabilia. I think because it celebrates those people, rather than just preserving history. Either way, the collectors all see their collections as beautiful and precious, and this book shows there is a certain beauty to be found in the macabre.
Many of the collectors have taxidermied and embalmed items, as well as human and animal skulls, and shrunken heads! There are also collections of Ouija boards and planchettes. The only collection I found troubling was the one of serial killer memorabilia. I think because it celebrates those people, rather than just preserving history. Either way, the collectors all see their collections as beautiful and precious, and this book shows there is a certain beauty to be found in the macabre.
April 8, 2018
Ever wonder what people collect? If you liked the show “Oddities” on The Discovery channel this is for you! It is very appropriately named although some collections are just strange and several are heavily history related. The pages are beautiful and the explanations from the collectors are fascinating. Some collectors have Insta tags so you can see more and you can still watch “Oddities” on Prime!
January 4, 2020
This book gave me chills. Also I didn't care about most of the collectors, as their stories seemed a little...basic and predictable?
The print design of the book is splendid, every detail is seamless so it's a great addition to your home library whatsoever.
The print design of the book is splendid, every detail is seamless so it's a great addition to your home library whatsoever.
July 17, 2022
Honestly, every single one of these collectors could have had their own book, written and photographed by this author and I would, without hesitation, purchase the full set. Fascinating and addictive.
December 2, 2022
A beautiful book but very questionable ethics on the origin and procurement of some of the collections of human remains
October 20, 2023
72%
I don't really have much to say that Peter Derk hasn't already said in his review: there's too much written about the collectors and not enough about the collections, several of the collectors have no scruples about how they obtain their pieces (historical pieces are fine because their original context has been lost anyways and you'll never find their proper "owner", but straight-up taking parts from patients you've had in a hospital is a no-go), some of the pieces are ethically questionable (namely, marked gravestones and stuff from living serial killers who benefit from selling their paraphernalia). The pictures of the collections were beautiful and fascinating.
I don't really have much to say that Peter Derk hasn't already said in his review: there's too much written about the collectors and not enough about the collections, several of the collectors have no scruples about how they obtain their pieces (historical pieces are fine because their original context has been lost anyways and you'll never find their proper "owner", but straight-up taking parts from patients you've had in a hospital is a no-go), some of the pieces are ethically questionable (namely, marked gravestones and stuff from living serial killers who benefit from selling their paraphernalia). The pictures of the collections were beautiful and fascinating.
October 2, 2019
Hmm. Some great photos of interesting collections. A few stories I didn’t entirely care for/buy, and a little repetitive. Also, I believe in the concept that we need to learn about history to avoid repeating it, but I just can’t get behind ANY kind of glamorization of serial killers - even sharing ‘collections’. It just feels icky, even when a collector says it’s not. I wish things that were interesting in a macabre way could be separate from both serial killer issues and implications of devil worship.
July 29, 2023
A absolutely beautiful book, quality photography, black edged pages and easy to read and follow. If you like Morbid, macabre or creepy collectibles you’ll love this book. I just wish they had completed longer interviews with the collectors. These are truly unique individuals who are obviously well versed and interesting people. One page isn’t enough to really understand them, their collections or information on their favourite items.
September 24, 2017
I picked up the book because I was interested in learning about the medical curiosities involved. However, the author gives equal time to the curator/owners of each collection. I found myself more fascinated with the quirkiness and humanity of the collectors more than the items themselves. A pleasant surprise!
March 25, 2022
I'm jealous of anyone who owns a shrunken head. Now I want one.
Awesome book, cool photos and collections. No thank you to having prison shivs that have killed people, or owning weird serial killer letters and artwork, but sign me up for old skulls, taxidermy and wet specimens of deformities.
Awesome book, cool photos and collections. No thank you to having prison shivs that have killed people, or owning weird serial killer letters and artwork, but sign me up for old skulls, taxidermy and wet specimens of deformities.
May 18, 2024
This book is a riveting dive into the world of macabre collectors, packed with stunning visuals and captivating stories. Gambino masterfully reveals the passion and respect these collectors have for their eerie treasures, from taxidermy and medical oddities to occult artifacts. Each page is a visual feast, making you feel like you're exploring a private museum of the strange and unusual. If you’re fascinated by the weird and wonderful, this book is an absolute must-have!!
March 4, 2025
El libro y sus fotografias son interesantes. Entiendo que es dificil editar este tipo de publicaciones pero, personalmente a mi, me hubiese gustado que se desarrollara particularidades de alguno de los ítems de las colecciones. Me gusta que se le de voz a los coleccionistas pero todos estamos acá por sus cositas... hablen de las cositas.
June 10, 2017
Not all the collectors are fascinating but the author organized the collectors very GOOD! Started with a fabulous collectors then in the middle some normal collectors then returned to magnificent ones
I loved the book and the images within 👍🏻
I loved the book and the images within 👍🏻
January 16, 2019
Definitely a "need to own" book for me. The collectors are all respectful, honest and treat their collections with love and extreme care. You may be grossed out, disturbed or completely hate what they collect, I find it absolutely fascinating and I'm uber jealous!
May 13, 2020
Amazing. There was a wide representation of categories within the macabre, items were beautifully photographed and the stories behind some of the items are extremely fascinating. Damn did these collections make me jealous!
March 8, 2018
Fascinating and disturbing coffee table book. Interesting to be able to see the oddities people collect. Great for those with a taste for the Macabre.
January 9, 2018
A wonderful assemblage of the weird collections of some of my favorite figures in the world of the strange and obscure.
November 1, 2018
Las fotos me siguen quedando a deber en este tipo de libros.
Pero está súper interesante.
Pero está súper interesante.
July 20, 2019
Not for the faint of heart but some truly spectacular collections!
August 24, 2020
I adore this book and if has become one of my coffee table books to get discussions started.
The beautiful photos and the interesting collections people have.
The beautiful photos and the interesting collections people have.
June 7, 2021
18 morbid collectors. Short interviews and mostly pictures of the gruesome artefacts of each collector. For fans of the horror and macabre.
September 25, 2022
Lousy, formulaic text. Great pictures. Could have been much better, like a missed learning opportunity.
March 3, 2023
A fascinating collection of curios and collections for every macabre fan to enjoy! Very interesting stories of morbid beginnings and wonderful specimens. Recommended for collectors!
May 29, 2023
Pretty weird but an interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews