Let’s get into the festive spirit with our special co-host Anna Ploszajski as we explore festive facts, Christmas chemistry, and merry materials! We make some predictions for the year ahead, and of course there’s a collections themed holiday song to bob along to. Happy holidays!
00:02:43 Hideous treasures all around us
00:11:13 Christmas tree decorations – old and new!
00:22:31 Tinsel themed nightmares
00:26:42 Lights, candles, and twinkly stuff
00:34:25 Tableware for days
00:40:21 Cakes and puddings
00:42:34 Christmas crackers
00:49:10 Fake snow and leaky snowglobes
00:53:23 Last year’s predictions and ones for 2022
01:01:11 Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (Museum Version)
Show Notes:
– Find out more about Anna’s work: https://www.annaploszajski.com/
– The aroma of Christmas trees: https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/12/19/christmastrees/
– Mr Bean vs the ornaments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91IK06uv5E
– The evolution of tinsel: http://www.compoundchem.com/2017advent/2017advent24/
– How silvering is achieved: https://www.compoundchem.com/2017/09/06/silver-mirror/
– S09E05 Dynamic Objects: https://thecword.show/2021/05/19/s09e05-dynamic-objects/
– S02E08 Food: https://thecword.show/2017/11/29/s02e08-food/
– V&A blog about the history of crackers: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-christmas-cracker
– Christmas cracker chemistry: https://www.compoundchem.com/2013/12/24/christmas-cracker-chemistry/
– How wrapping paper is made: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Wrapping-Paper.html
– Fake snow chemistry: https://www.compoundchem.com/2017advent/2017advent7/
– Museum Freelance network closes: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2021/11/museum-freelance-network-to-close/
– Go buy Anna’s book: https://www.annaploszajski.com/book
– Jenny reviewing Anna’s book in a previous episode: https://thecword.show/2021/05/19/s09e05-dynamic-objects/
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Rocking Around the Christmas Tree: the Museum Version (lyrics by Jenny Mathiasson and Morgan Fox; vocals by Skye)
Skulkin’ around the gallery
At the Christmas working do
Watching for spills that you can see
Or objects gone askew
Walkin’ around the Christmas tree
Let pheromone pest traps swing
Later we’ll sneak some extra tea
And we’ll do some tidying
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear
Voices going, where’s that dolly?
Pop that object on this trolley
Wrappin’ things up in acid free
For a popular display
Everyone chattin’ happily
Raiding gift shop and cafe
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear
Voices going, where’s that dolly?
Pop that object on this trolley
Walkin’ around our objects store
Seein’ a thing not put away
Finally hoovering the floor
Roll on the holiday!
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Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Anna Ploszajski.
Intro and outro music by DDmyzik, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.
A Wooden Dice production, 2021.