THURSDAY, MARCH 14TH: WORDS, WRITERS, SOUTHWEST STORIES PRESENTS:

Harriet Baskas
Wonderful, Weird, and Worrisome Objects in Washington State’s Museums

Most museums display no more than 10 percent of their holdings, often citing “not enough space” as the reason. But there are also a wide range of cultural, philosophical, political, environmental, historic, and even superstitious reasons why museums keep some objects from public view.

In this talk, explore a wide range of hidden objects found in the back rooms of museums in our state and around the country. Examples include a Spokane institution that holds Bing Crosby’s toupées and a museum in Lynden that’s home to a 150-year-old pickle. Museum staff will be on hand to answer questions, participate in our discussions, and unbox a few hidden treasures.

Harriet Baskas (she/her) is the author of nine books, including 111 Places in Seattle That You Must Not Miss and Hidden Treasures: What Museums Can’t or Won’t Show You. She writes about airports, museums, travel, and a variety of other topics for outlets such as NBC News, The Points Guy, and her own site, StuckatTheAirport.com. She produced a radio series on hidden museum artifacts that aired on National Public Radio. Baskas has a master’s in communications from the University of Washington.

Baskas lives in Seattle.

This event will be held virtually, via Zoom on March 14, 2024, at 6pm. A link to join this event will be emailed to registered participants on the day of the event.

REGISTER HERE