Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau presents: Weird, Wonderful, and Worrisome Objects in Washington State’s Museums

Saturday January 11 at 10:30 am, journalist and author Harriet Baskas brings Washington State’s museums to life in an exploration of hidden objects found in the back rooms of museums in our state and around the country–from a Spokane institution that holds Bing Crosby’s toupées, to a museum in Lynden that’s home to a 150-year-old pickle! 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…

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 has produced a radio series on hidden museum artifacts for National Public Radio, and has a master’s degree in communications from the University of Washington. Baskas lives in Seattle.