Frass at the Ashmolean

So. expateek's trying to get something productive done whilst in London,
which means she is writing her dissertation proposal
for her Leicester Museum Studies M.A.

Naturally, she needs to get in the mood,
so she's looking at old photos of various museum visits from the last few years.

Obviously, this leads directly to
inspiration and a quick write-up of the proposal
blogging.



Oops.





Still, let's go exploring with expateek,
at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, during a visit circa 2006.
expateek was on a day trip with her Museum Studies mates.
She was a bit disappointed to find this sign, shortly after entering the museum.



But she was truly shocked and appalled
to find this when she drew back the protective fabric
covering a tapestry exhibition cabinet.



Look! Carpet beetles!
At one of the oldest and most venerated museums in England!

For Pete's sake,
Quick!
Get those tapestries over to Belgium immediately!




And then this! Frass! (insect droppings)! In a metals cabinet.

expateek knows it's hard to see,
but trust her, the case was encrusted with the stuff.




And then this! Buzzing about in the galleries.





And then these!


Oh, wait, those were a fellow student's shoes. Scratch that.




And then this, in the main sculpture gallery,
which pretty much reveals the explanation for all of the above.



Maybe the curators at the Ashmolean have too much of a tippling problem
to pay attention to pest management?

You know those Oxford types....



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