Historical Figures' Strange Personal Effects
Whether a historical figure is revered or reviled, their personal effects can offer unique insight into their lives. Let's explore some unique personal effects of history's most important figures from literature, science, and politics.
George Washington's Dentures
Did you know that America's greatest President and General once wore dentures? He had oral health problems throughout his life and wore dentures throughout his presidency and the Revolutionary War. However, as many believe, they weren't made of wood. Instead, they were made of lead, human, and cow teeth. Washington's dentures are currently on display in the museum at Mount Vernon.
Jane Austen's Writing Desk
British writer Jane Austen was famous for writing from a small desk in the corner of her home in Hampshire, England. This home is now the Jane Austen Museum; her desk remains there. Despite being one of England's most successful authors, Austen's desk is unassuming—small and cramped—but it worked for her.
Abraham Lincoln's Pocket Contents
When Abraham Lincoln's life was taken on April 14, 1865, he was carrying two pairs of glasses, a lens polisher, a handkerchief, a wallet containing a five-dollar bill, and some newspaper clippings. These are preserved in the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
What was in Lincoln's pockets?, Library of Congress
The Lincoln First Lady's Dress
Mary Todd Lincoln was the First Lady during Abraham Lincoln's presidency. This beautiful black-and-white dress, likely crafted by African American seamstress Elizabeth Keckley, is on display at the Met Museum in New York.
Smithsonian Institution, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
The Boot Of John Wilkes Booth
After John Wilkes Booth fired the fatal shot at Lincoln, he leaped from the balcony and broke his leg. After visiting Dr Samuel Mudd, who cut the boot off to treat Booth's broken leg, he stored it under his bed. It was found by authorities who used the discovery to locate and capture Booth.
Pharaoh Tutankhamun's Gold Dagger & Sheath
King Tut was discovered in a tomb in Egypt's Valley Of The Kings, where he was buried with a ceremonial golden dagger and sheath, as was typical of Egyptian pharaohs. Tutankhamun archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun in 1922, making it one of the most celebrated archaeological finds in history.
Gary Todd, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Ted Bundy's Beetle
Ted Bundy is one of America's most reviled serial killers, having murdered dozens of women throughout the 1970s. The car he drove to kidnap his victims, a 1968 VW Beetle, is preserved at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Jeffrey Dahmer's Glasses
Jeffrey Dahmer's shocking crimes of murder and cannibalism against young men and boys throughout the 1970s stunned Americans. The life of Jeffrey Dahmer was depicted most recently in the Netflix series, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022), where actor Evan Peters wore those iconic glasses. They're now on display at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN.
Netflix, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
A Piece Of Albert Einstein's Brain
Among 240 other pieces of the brain of Albert Einstein, this piece resides in the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and contains a microscopic sliver of Einstein's brain tissue, which was removed from his brain after his passing.
Orren Jack Turner, Wikimedia Commons
Sigmund Freud's Couch
Sigmund Freud may be one of the greatest minds in psychoanalytical history. After a patient gifted him this couch in 1890, he moved it between his offices in Vienna and London for the rest of his career. It can now be found in the Freud Museum, London, located inside his final home in London—along with the rest of the house, which has been preserved since Freud's passing in 1923.
Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jackie Rogers' MLB Jersey
Jackie Rogers was the first African American player in MLB history, breaking down racist barriers in 1947. He played for the Dodgers and had an extraordinarily successful career. His jersey can be seen in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in New York.
Harry Warnecke, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
The Rules Of Basketball
Many people don't know that basketball is a Canadian invention—James Naismith invented the game after moving to the United States as a young educator. While teaching at the University of Kansas, Naismith typed out the rules for "Basket Ball" as he termed it, on two 8- by 10-inch pieces of paper. They now reside in the DeBruce Center at the University of Kansas.
James Naismith, Wikimedia Commons
Harry Houdini's Straitjacket From 1915
Harry Houdini was America's greatest escape artist. Capturing the minds and attention of millions of people across the world in the early 20th century, the illusionist's straitjacket (which he could escape from in less than three minutes), was sold at an auction to a private buyer in 2011 for $46,980.
The Hair Of Mary, Queen Of Scots
A few locks from the treacherous Mary, Queen of Scots were kept after she was beheaded in 1587 for plotting to overthrow her cousin, Elizabeth I. A lock of her hair was mounted on the top of a jewelry box, which sold at auction to a private buyer for about $9,000 in 2008.
François Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
A Dress Fit For A Queen
Queen Victoria called her wedding day to Prince Albert "the happiest day of my life"—so it's only fitting that the Queen got married in such a beautiful dress. It was designed by Mary Bettans, the royal dressmaker during Queen Victoria's reign. Currently, the stunning piece sits on display at the Royal Collection Trust at Kensington Palace and the Museum of London.
S Reynolds after F Lock, Wikimedia Commons
The Chilling Diary Of Anne Frank
Now on display at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, The Diary of a Young Girl provides a haunting insight into what Anne Frank experienced during her time in occupied Holland at the start of the Second World War. One of the most brave people to have ever lived, Anne Frank's diary is a chilling read.
Heather Cowper, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mahatma Gandhi's Bedroom
Located at the Gandhi Smriti Museum, Mahatma Gandhi's bedroom has been left in the exact state it was at the time he lost his life in 1948. His walking stick, spinning wheel, sandals, a rough stone, and a mattress were all left in-situ following the anti-colonial activist's death.
Zenit, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Patsy Cline's Performance Outfit From 1958
This all-pink performance outfit was made by Patsy Cline's mother, Hilda, for her performance on the Arthur Godfrey Show, which proved to be the legend's breakthrough. Using record patches of Cline's early hits, Hilda hand-sewed the entire pink outfit together. This emblem of a mother's love now resides at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
Elvis' Flashy King Of Spades Jumpsuit
Later in his career, Elvis would wear the King of Spades jumpsuit, a one-piece leather suit with gold and blue adornments and sewn-in patterns. Made in various iterations throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, these leather jumpsuits can all be seen at the Elvis Presley Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Beatles' OG Business Card
Before becoming world-famous stars, The Beatles handed out simple business cards to prospective bookers. The cards contained the band's manager's name and contact information, and the band's name, centered in the middle. A plain white card with black lettering was chosen.
United Press International, Wikimedia Commons
John Lennon's "I'm Only Sleeping" Scrawlings
The lyrics to Lennon's Revolver classic were once on auction at Christie's for upwards of $500,000. The song contains a backward lead guitar part, the first time anyone had tried this in pop music history.
Miniacipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Frida Kahlo's Walking Aids
You may not have known that the acclaimed painter was involved in a car accident at 18 that nearly cost her her life and severely limited her mobility. She would use orthopedic aids for the rest of her life. They are now on display at Casa Azul, Kahlo's home and workshop in Mexico.
Jeffrey Greenberg, Getty Images
Frida Kahlo's Artist's Studio
Casa Azul was Kahlo's home studio. Today, it's meticulously preserved, with her paintings, paints, books, and even the wheelchair she used still sitting in-situ in front of her easel.
Isabel Pinzon, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
King Henry VIII's Redesigned Body Armor
During the war with the French in the 16th century, King Henry VIII led his troops into battle in Boulogne in 1544—but his body armor of gold and silver had been customized to match his expanding waistline. The English would capture the town of Boulogne and hold it until 1550.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
The Chequers Ring Of Elizabeth I
The Chequers Ring is an incredibly special ring worn by Elizabeth I. It is a mother-of-pearl ring whose top opens to feature two portraits: one of Elizabeth I and the other of her mother, Anne Boleyn, who met a brutal end at the discretion of King Henry VIII. The ring is kept at Chequers, the home of the British Prime Minister.
The Piano Beethoven Could Hear
Commissioned by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1825, this grand piano would be his last. Despite being almost entirely deaf, the maestro played this grand piano during some of his final compositions, until his death in 1827. The piano now resides at the Beethoven House in Bonn, Germany.
Hbar.cc, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Isaac Newton's Telescope
Putting together a telescope today is an incredibly technical process, but put yourself in the shoes of Isaac Newton, who made a number of groundbreaking discoveries in science and made his own telescope in 1671. Newton's telescope is now on display at the Royal Society in London, England.
The Science Museum UK, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Galileo's Telescope
Long before Sir Isaac Newton, astronomer Galileo had used a telescope that he invented to see Jupiter, spots on the Sun, and valleys on the Moon. A groundbreaking scientist in his own right, Galileo's telescope is on display at the Galileo Museum of History & Science in Italy.
Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Florence Nightingale's Medicine Bottles
One of history's greatest lifesavers and the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale crafted medicines like quinine and took them with her to the frontlines of the Crimean War in the mid-19th century. Surviving the war, the medicine bottles are now on display at the Florence Nightingale Museum in London.
Joyofmuseums, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
King Alfred's Great Jewel
Reportedly, the Anglo Saxon king used a small 2.5-inch pointer stick for his words when reading. King Alfred's Great Jewel is on display Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford, England.
You May Also Like:
Extravagant Facts About Pablo Fanque
Heroic Facts About Florence Nightingale
Mkooiman, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sources:
_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg){kind=link}
_(b).jpg){kind=link}
_MET_DT205963.jpg){kind=link}
