A Forest Hills man is sharing pieces of history with youngsters.
Denny Daniel, the founder and curator of The Museum of Interesting Things, travels around the New York Metropolitan region to educate and inspire people by letting them interact with items from the past.
“[The museum] is not to make you run out and buy antiques, but to help you understand that iPods didn’t just pop out of nowhere,” he said. “I want people to become more creative, inventive, and to understand the progression of time.”
The collection includes things like the iPod’s precursor, the Edison Cylinder Phonograph, and a 1920’s quack medical tool, the Violetta Machine. It even has a bible scroll that dates back about 200 years.
The museum has more than 300 items and eight departments: Toys, Math, Medical, Literature, Household, Science, Music and Photography.
“When you come to see one of these shows and look at the children, adults, senior citizens – when you see their faces – it’s the most amazing thing,” Daniel said.
Daniel has demonstrated the collection at universities, schools, hospitals and house parties. Recently, he gave a demonstration at Hillel Summer School in Queens, and Elmhurst Hospital patients saw the collection at its home in the East Village. He is also making plans to show the collection at libraries in Queens.
Daniel usually does three-to-six demonstrations a month. He said he is always looking for more venues to do demonstrations and exhibit the collection.
“I want it to go all over the country,” he said.
Daniel came up with the idea of The Museum of Interesting Things three years ago while opening his new shipment of antiques. His neighbor’s children helped him fix the antiques. He realized then that people could be inspired and educated by interacting with items from the past. Inspired by Barnum & Baileys circus, he decided to make a traveling museum of his collection.
If you want to see pictures of Daniel’s collection, find out where the museum will be next or if you want to schedule a demonstration, please visit www.museumofinterestingthings.org.
