Interviewer, Stephanie Fritz: Today I am interviewing Doctor Rose. Would you like to introduce yourself?

Doctor Lynn Rose: Hi, I’m Lynn Rose. I do ancient history and disabilities studies at Truman State University, where I’ve worked since 1995. I like to travel internationally.

SF: So, my first question to you is, in your opinion what is a Cabinet of Curiosities?

LR: This is an interesting question because it ties in with freakery, freak studies. I know cabinet of curiosities from the 19th, 20th centuries when people would collect human oddities, including fetuses, body parts, and so on. So I think of it as a rather strange upper class, spare time, activity.

SF: Okay, that is definitely the first answer like that I’ve gotten. What were a few of the items that you loaned to this class project?

LR: I think I loaned two camels. One was a wooden toy that my father played with and it’s not from Egypt but is very much part of the Egyptomania that was going on and another was a camel that I myself played with as a child in Egypt. It is a camel made of camel skin with camel gear, which is kind of creepy, but I also had a life size camel, a camel sized camel, in my bedroom made of camel skin. It was sort of like a rocking horse, except a camel.

SF: That’s a little bit disturbing but also a lot of fun.

LR: It explains a lot, doesn’t it? (said with a smile)

SF: That’s one way to describe it, yes. So, is there a particular reason you decided to donate these items to the cabinet of curiosities? It kind of actually sounds a little bit closer to what you actually view as a cabinet of curiosities because the skin element.

LR: This is true; that’s an interesting connection. I offered these items to the cabinet of curiosities because you asked me to come up with some items and this is what I came up with.

SF: You explained a little bit that these were things from your childhood, but is that the only reason you still have them in your possession, or how did you come across them and why did you keep them?

LR: Well, we accumulate things, as you’ll find out in another generation or two, and yes this is my accumulation from my childhood, yes.

SF: So that is why you kept hold of them, just fond memories?

LR: Well, yea and you don’t want to throw things out. I was able to put my troll collection on ebay and get a pretty penny for them.

SF: The little troll dolls with the hair?

LR: Yes, that’s right. Had over a hundred of them, but that’s another story.

SF: O, goodness. Did you have a favorite item that you donated?

LR: Interesting question. I hadn’t thought about it in terms of favorite items. Yea, among those items the charm bracelet of my grandmother with the various Egyptomania items on it I’d have to say is my favorite. I actually wear it from time to time. I won’t be wearing it for a couple of years, but that’s okay. I have lots of jewelry.

SF: Which religious symbols were on that bracelet? I know there were about nine total.

LR: Oh, I guess I didn’t think of them as religious symbols but I suppose they are because there is the anhk and shield and crescent, and a Star of David, and camels. What else was on there?

SF: I know you had a couple Islamic symbols.

LR: Yea, I think there was a little itty, bitty Quran. Something about Istanbul. Yea, but camels. Camels seem to be a theme.

SF: Yes they do. So was it something that she collected? Have you added to that bracelet in any way? Or are they all charms that she placed on it?

LR: I think that they were all charms that she placed on it. It’s even a little itty bitty Greek vase on it because they went to Greece to on their way back. I only added the Star of David. That’s my only addition to the bracelet.

SF: So as she traveled, she would add a charm from some place she’s gone?

LR: Well, this was a one time travel charm bracelet. So when my grandparents came to Cairo to visit us, I don’t know how it started, but all the charms are from that trip to Cairo and then the surrounding areas that they visited?

SF: Do you think that influenced your desire to travel in anyway?

LR: Oh yes.

SF: Wish I could have done that. Do you ever display any of these pieces on your own or is it just something you’ve had stored away?

LR: Hmm. Another interesting question. I guess I do from time to time. My living room changes display. It’s quite eclectic. And yeah, I guess the camel shows up sometimes and the bits of marble and yes, I guess everything in that collection shows up.

SF: You’re just rotating it?

LR: Yeah.

SF: Well thank you very much for your interview.

LR: My pleasure.