Weird & Wonderful

How did Hans Worrenberg, Europe’s most famous dwarf performer, go from dazzling English royalty to drowning in a wooden box in Rotterdam? Discover the astonishing life and tragic end of this 17th-century entertainer, whose fame couldn’t save him from a fatal twist of fate.

A rare 1802 case reveals how intersex bodies were classified, controlled, and interpreted. Discover what Jaqueline Foroni’s story says about gender and authority.

A fragile paper from 1938 tells a powerful story. This Passover order form from Hermann Rieder’s kosher grocery in Mannheim offers a rare glimpse into Jewish life just months before Kristallnacht. More than a shopping list, it’s a record of survival—and of a woman who escaped the Holocaust with her daughter, while her store and community were destroyed.

Explore the story of the Österreichisches Central-Organ, a rare 1848 Jewish weekly that championed civic equality, revolution, and emigration to America.

Discover the life and work of Dutch writer Josepha Mendels, a trailblazing author known for her independent spirit and bold storytelling.

Discover the life of P.T. Barnum, legendary showman who revolutionized entertainment with his circus, marketing genius, and autobiography.

Final auction of Ricky Jay’s collection at Forum Auctions on Feb 27, 2025—rare broadsides, illusionist history & magic’s enduring legacy.

Godefroy & Co. marketed an "Insurance Corset, against [...] onanism", preventing the wearer from suffering a slow and miserable death.

In the 1920s the Nazis used banknotes to spread their propaganda. Remarkably, 2024 saw the return of this form of propaganda.

Chang and Eng Bunker, famous conjoined twins from Siam, were exhibited to the public in Amsterdam in June 1836.

One of the earliest printed depictions of a fountain pen, invented by Daniel Schwenter.