Mole Skeleton

This is a skeleton of a european mole at the Grant Museum. It is a much better photograph then the one I took, and the ones provided in the museum catalogue. It is from here. 

The combination of the distinct evolutionary features of the moles, as this skeleton shows and the fact moles were (and still are) considered a pest and in an abundance, is likely to be the reason that they were used in teaching so much, their abundance in the museum and the moles subsequent residing within the glass jar.

Courtesy of Teaching and Research Collections and UCL Museums.

Physical Object available to view at UCL Museums (search Grant Museum Catalogue: NON446)

Digital Object – Online sources.

18 Moles in Jar

Available for viewing (and more information on) at: Grant Museum, London.Image copyright held by : UCL Museums/Grant Museum.

This jar contains 18 moles. According the Mark Carnall, the curator of the Grant Museum how they came to be here it is not quite known, although it is thought that they might have been used for teaching and research in zoology and comparative anatomy, which historically included animal dissection.

The Glass Jar of Moles has it’s own twitter account, @GlassJarOfMoles. This is how they are described on twitter: “We many moles proudly reside at @GrantMuseum. A disparate lot, our interests lie in adventure, science, equality, educational disadvantage, history & worms.”

These moles also appear on the Museum of Unthings, providing an interesting, alternative story to this object.

The Grant Museum has an adoption facility. You can not adopt these moles as someone already has, though there are many others you could chose from. Check here if your interested.

Image courtesy of Teaching and Research Collections and UCL Museums.

Physical Object available to view at UCL Museums. (Search Grant Museum Catalogue: Z2754 )

Digital Object – Online sources.

Mole Feet Amulets

These two mole’s feet were carried in a pocket as an amulet to protect from toothache, collected in England (around 1933). They are part of the Pitt Rivers Museum. For much more details on this object and to see related objects please visit their online catalogue.

Image credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images

Digital Object – Online sources.

Physical Object borrowed from non UCL Museum collection. Available to view (Here in the Pitt Rivers Museum Catalogue).

Taxidermy Moles

Title: Taxidermy ‘Moroccan mole dressed in a Fez hat’ and ‘Mr. Moley’.

Date: Oct 20, 2013

Producer: Julie Johnson. Description: Making My Moles (click on image for blog post by maker).

This is derived from the taxidermy then that found at the Grant Museum search Grant Museum Catalogue for an example of a taxidermy mole), although it is created for different purposes. This form of taxidermy has received criticism from some.

Here is an article discussing these attitudes by Matthew Bell from The Independent Online titled: ‘Stuff and nonsense’

Physical Object available to view/buy.

Digital Objects – Online sources (available here).

Physical Object available to view at UCL Museums (search Grant Museum Catalogue: Z591 ).

Courtesy of Teaching and Research Collections and UCL Museums.