Internationally renowned museums gain popularity and prestige over the course of hundreds of years, and that type of attention does not come easily. Museums like the Louvre, The British Museum, and many others have earned great fame from the collection and curation of famed artifacts and art.
But what about the museums that break the boundaries by other means?
Many smaller museums do not intend to show "the best of the best", but instead, they focus on telling a story, or provoking deep thought. Sometimes, museums simply wish to share a personal passion with the rest of the world.
In our new series, Art & Culture Translated will be featuring our favorite quirky museums. These organisations never seem to get the credit and media attention that they so rightfully deserve, but we would love to change that, and hopefully make our readers smile along the way!
Our first highlight in this series is the Umbrella Cover Museum, located on a small Maine island (USA). Holding the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of umbrella covers, with over 2,000 covers from 71 different countries, we believe this collection is well worth a visit!
The Umbrella Cover Museum is dedicated to the appreciation of the mundane in everyday life. It is about finding wonder and beauty in the simplest of things, and about knowing that there is always a story behind the cover.
- The Umbrella Museum's Mission Statement
The museum was founded and curated by Nancy 3. Hoffman (yes, Three) in 1996, starting with only 80 covers in their collection. Several years prior, Hoffman realised that she still had the covers from all of the umbrellas she had ever owned, which threw her into the idea of storytelling through these destined-to-be-disposed-of objects.
By 2012 the Umbrella Cover Museum had cumulated 730 covers from 50 different countries! After applying for the Guinness World Record many times, a category was created with Hoffman's extravagant collection (of course) taking the lead!
After hearing about the award, many people reached out to donate their own covers, wanting to become a part of the story being told. Now with over 2,000 pieces, The Umbrella Cover Museum has touched the minds of many, and has even put on a travelling exhibition in Bristol, England.
We loved the U.C.M's story, and we hope you have as well! If you'd like to donate your own cover or plan a visit to the museum, check out their website here:
The in-person exhibits are closed for the Winter season, but you don't have to wait until next summer to take a peek, the U.C.M also offers some online content!