Stephanie Fritz: Today I am interviewing Doctor Rose. 

Stephanie Fritz: Would you like to introduce yourself?

Lynn Rose: Hi, I’m Lynn Rose. 

Lynn Rose: I do ancient history and disabilities studies at Truman State University, where I’ve worked since 1995. 

Lynn Rose: I like to travel internationally.

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

Lynn Rose: This is an interesting question because it ties in with freakery, freak studies. 

Lynn Rose: I know cabinet of curiosities from the 19th, 20th centuries when people would collect human oddities, including fetuses, body parts, and so on. 

Lynn Rose: So I think of it as a rather strange upper class, spare time, activity.

Stephanie Fritz: Okay, that is definitely the first answer like that I’ve gotten. 

Stephanie Fritz: What were a few of the items that you loaned to this class project?

Lynn Rose: I think I loaned two camels. 

Lynn Rose: 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. 

Lynn Rose: 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. 

Lynn Rose: It was sort of like a rocking horse, except a camel.

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

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

Stephanie Fritz: That’s one way to describe it, yes. 

Stephanie Fritz: So, is there a particular reason you decided to donate these items to the cabinet of curiosities?

Stephanie Fritz: It kind of actually sounds a little bit closer to what you actually view as a cabinet of curiosities because the skin element.

Lynn Rose: This is true; that’s an interesting connection. 

Lynn Rose: 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.

Stephanie Fritz: 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?

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

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

Lynn Rose: Well, yea and you don’t want to throw things out. 

Lynn Rose: I was able to put my troll collection on ebay and get a pretty penny for them.

Stephanie Fritz: The little troll dolls with the hair?

Lynn Rose: Yes, that’s right. 

Lynn Rose: Had over a hundred of them, but that’s another story.

Stephanie Fritz: Oh, goodness. 

Stephanie Fritz: Did you have a favorite item that you donated?

Lynn Rose: Interesting question. 

Lynn Rose: I hadn’t thought about it in terms of favorite items. 

Lynn Rose: 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. 

Lynn Rose: I actually wear it from time to time. 

Lynn Rose: I won’t be wearing it for a couple of years, but that’s okay. 

Lynn Rose: I have lots of jewelry.

Stephanie Fritz: Which religious symbols were on that bracelet? 

Stephanie Fritz: I know there were about nine total.

Lynn Rose: 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. 

Lynn Rose: What else was on there?

Stephanie Fritz: I know you had a couple Islamic symbols.

Lynn Rose: Yea, I think there was a little itty, bitty Quran. Something about Istanbul. 

Lynn Rose: Yea, but camels. 

Lynn Rose: Camels seem to be a theme.

Stephanie Fritz: Yes they do. 

Stephanie Fritz: So was it something that she collected? 

Stephanie Fritz: Have you added to that bracelet in any way? 

Stephanie Fritz: Or are they all charms that she placed on it?

Lynn Rose: I think that they were all charms that she placed on it. 

Lynn Rose: It’s even a little itty bitty Greek vase on it because they went to Greece to on their way back. 

Lynn Rose: I only added the Star of David. 

Lynn Rose: That’s my only addition to the bracelet.

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

Lynn Rose: Well, this was a one time travel charm bracelet. 

Lynn Rose: 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?

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

Lynn Rose: Oh yes.

Stephanie Fritz: Wish I could have done that.

Stephanie Fritz: Do you ever display any of these pieces on your own or is it just something you’ve had stored away?

Lynn Rose: Hmm.

Lynn Rose: Another interesting question.

Lynn Rose: I guess I do from time to time. 

Lynn Rose: My living room changes display.

Lynn Rose: It’s quite eclectic.

Lynn Rose: And yeah, I guess the camel shows up sometimes and the bits of marble and yes, I guess everything in that collection shows up.

Stephanie Fritz: You’re just rotating it?

Lynn Rose: Yeah.

Stephanie Fritz: Well thank you very much for your interview.

Lynn Rose: My pleasure.

End of Transcript