December 22, 2021

S10E08: Christmas Special

1 hour 5 minutes

Let’s get into the festive spirit with our special co-host Anna Ploszajski as we explore festive facts, Christmas chemistry, and merry materials! We make some predictions for the year ahead, and of course there’s a collections themed holiday song to bob along to. Happy holidays!

00:02:43 Hideous treasures all around us

00:11:13 Christmas tree decorations – old and new!

00:22:31 Tinsel themed nightmares

00:26:42 Lights, candles, and twinkly stuff

00:34:25 Tableware for days

00:40:21 Cakes and puddings

00:42:34 Christmas crackers

00:49:10 Fake snow and leaky snowglobes

00:53:23 Last year’s predictions and ones for 2022

01:01:11 Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (Museum Version)

Show Notes:

– Find out more about Anna’s work: https://www.annaploszajski.com/

– The aroma of Christmas trees: https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/12/19/christmastrees/

– Mr Bean vs the ornaments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91IK06uv5E

– The evolution of tinsel: http://www.compoundchem.com/2017advent/2017advent24/

– How silvering is achieved: https://www.compoundchem.com/2017/09/06/silver-mirror/

– S09E05 Dynamic Objects: https://thecword.show/2021/05/19/s09e05-dynamic-objects/

– S02E08 Food: https://thecword.show/2017/11/29/s02e08-food/

– V&A blog about the history of crackers: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-christmas-cracker

– Christmas cracker chemistry: https://www.compoundchem.com/2013/12/24/christmas-cracker-chemistry/

– How wrapping paper is made: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Wrapping-Paper.html

– Fake snow chemistry: https://www.compoundchem.com/2017advent/2017advent7/

– Museum Freelance network closes: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2021/11/museum-freelance-network-to-close/

– Go buy Anna’s book: https://www.annaploszajski.com/book

– Jenny reviewing Anna’s book in a previous episode: https://thecword.show/2021/05/19/s09e05-dynamic-objects/

***

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree: the Museum Version (lyrics by Jenny Mathiasson and Morgan Fox; vocals by Skye)

Skulkin’ around the gallery

At the Christmas working do

Watching for spills that you can see

Or objects gone askew

Walkin’ around the Christmas tree

Let pheromone pest traps swing

Later we’ll sneak some extra tea

And we’ll do some tidying

You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear

Voices going, where’s that dolly?

Pop that object on this trolley

Wrappin’ things up in acid free

For a popular display

Everyone chattin’ happily

Raiding gift shop and cafe

You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear

Voices going, where’s that dolly?

Pop that object on this trolley

Walkin’ around our objects store

Seein’ a thing not put away

Finally hoovering the floor

Roll on the holiday!

***

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Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Anna Ploszajski.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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