Cabinet of Curiosities, Ep. 9: Tortoiseshell vs. Celluloid

Because of this morning’s wintry weather and slippery roads, the History Center will open at noon today, Thursday, Feb. 6.
We take a look at another item that came to the Historical Society from the family of Elizabeth Bonham. This video, the latest in the Cabinet of Curiosities video series, explores the story of the tortoiseshell comb from the History Center’s collection. What is tortoiseshell? Where does it come from? Why was it popular in furniture and other decorative pieces? A member of the Collections team answers those questions, and a few more.
Episode 9: Tortoiseshell vs. Celluloid
Episode 8: The Lincoln Cane
Episode 7: Bird of Paradise Hat
Episode 6: Santons
Episode 5: Scott Tissue Dress
Episode 4: Boiler Bolt and Lantern Ring
Episode 3: Plaster Fruits and Vegetables
Episode 2: Ebony and Ivory Elephants
Episode 1: The Colobus Monkey Fur Cape
With close to 90,000 artifacts in our collection, the York County History Center has many items that are seldom or never on public display. In this video series, Cabinets of Curiosities, we introduce you to some of the oddities in our vast collection.