Observatory Mansions (37 page)

186. A chewed dog collar with name tag (inscribed).

187. A lampshade dog collar.

188. Eight hinges from a dressing screen.

189. A bedside light.

190. A letter of resignation.

191. A bell pull.

192. A naked porcelain doll.

193. One half of a pair of curtains.

194. A number of tapers.

195. A farewell letter.

196. A letter of apology.

197. A letter from a master to his housekeeper.

198. A housekeeper’s keys.

199. A servant’s livery.

200. Two ice trays.

201. A set of children’s building blocks.

202. Six dismissal letters.

203. A hookah pipe.

204. A clockwork toy train.

205. A tub of floor wax.

206. Seven screws taken from a boiler.

207. A dustpan and brush.

208. Four postcards from foreign cities.

209. The key to the servants’ hall.

210. An antique box camera.

211. A tin of silver polish.

212. A shoe grate.

213. A tear-stained confession (ink on paper).

214. A letter to notify termination of contract.

215. A monocle.

216. A tennis racket bracket.

217. A lavatory handle.

218. A mummified cat.

219. An oriental rug.

220. A dog bowl.

221. A globe (celestial).

222. A quantity of green baize (from a door).

223. A bottle of aspirin tablets.

224. A list of items to be auctioned (booklet).

225. An auctioneer’s hammer.

226. A cheque made out to an auctioneering company.

227. Two rolls of wallpaper.

228. A drum of household electricity wire.

229. A hacksaw.

230. An electric drill.

231. Two boiler suits.

232. A carefully cut length of skirting board.

233. An industrial floor polisher.

234. The insides of a telephone.

235. A tool box.

236. A fuse box.

237. Thirteen paintbrushes.

238. A ballet shoe.

239. A new resident’s first set of keys.

240. Seven invitations to a house-warming party.

241. An unused doormat.

242. A length of bandage.

243. A number of photographs of the sun’s chromosphere.

244. A travel book.

245. A metronome.

246. A will.

247. A cashmere scarf.

248. A medal (silver, ribbon).

249. A map of Western Europe.

250. A map of Eastern Europe.

251. A photograph of a wedding.

252. A tennis racket.

253. A wooden clog.

254. A bugle.

255. An X-ray of a pair of lungs.

256. A plastic male doll.

257. A dried globe fish.

258. A paraffin lamp.

259. A trumpet.

260. A pair of spectacles.

261. A pebble.

262. A Ventolin inhaler.

263. A leather boxing glove.

264. A dog collar (for a priest).

265. A quantity of communion wafers.

266. A book of fairy tales.

267. Four lace bonnets.

268. A military sword.

269. A can-opener.

270. A book of instructions (for a child’s model kit).

271. A piece of cardboard with writing on it (belonging to a tramp).

272. A passport.

273. A number of guitar strings.

274. A discus.

275. A death mask.

276. A hand-drawn map.

277. A shopping basket.

278. An umbrella.

279. A pair of aeroplane tickets (non-returnable).

280. A cross-cut saw.

281. A pencil drawing of a hunchback.

282. A woollen mitten.

283. A crucifix.

284. A gold sports medal.

285. A reel of barbed wire.

286. A tap-dancing shoe.

287. A leather punch bag.

288. A dog whistle.

289. A calfskin gauntlet.

290. A record player.

291. A lawnmower blade.

292. A death threat (letters cut from a newspaper glued on to white paper).

293. A length of stair carpet.

294. The transcripts from a trial.

295. A tin of dried tea leaves.

296. A tax rebate (cheque).

297. A collection of scissors (twenty-six pairs).

298. A pair of moleskin trousers.

299. A list of records from a jukebox.

300. A bottle of massage oil.

301. A pair of walking sticks.

302. A nail brush.

303. A blue shirt.

304. An appointment book.

305. A quantity of keys on a keyring.

306. A road sign.

307. A zoetrope.

308. A quantity of dried chillies.

309. A bird’s nest.

310. A shopping list.

311. A puppet on a stick.

312. A child’s potty (enamelware).

313. A Bible (leather bound).

314. The top of a human thumb (wrapped in cotton wool).

315. A tin foot bowl.

316. A school photograph.

317. A guidebook to a public abattoir.

318. A component from a washing machine.

319. A book of philosophy.

320. A glassblower’s iron pipe.

321. A child’s story book.

322. A dog-leg chisel.

323. A black leather belt.

324. An address book.

325. The peddle from a sewing machine.

326. A microphone.

327. A silver teaspoon.

328. A dried starfish.

329. A book on dieting.

330. A quill pen.

331. A Noah’s ark (containing twenty wooden animals and two wooden people).

332. A plastic doll that wets itself.

333. An oboe reed.

334. A urine sample (inside a test tube).

335. The lid of a baptismal font.

336. A rudder.

337. A child’s drum.

338. An electric toaster.

339. A gym slip.

340. A Petit’s tourniquet.

341. A wineglass with a lipstick mark on its rim.

342. A betting slip.

343. A bottle of liquid paper.

344. A Jew’s harp.

345. A blow pipe.

346. A plastic toy tank.

347. A political manifesto.

348. A bull’s-eye (from a dartboard).

349. A knuckle duster.

350. A poster of a screen idol.

351. A tin of straw-hat varnish.

352. A telegram.

353. A pair of pearl earrings

354. A paper flag on a wooden stick.

355. A metal detector.

356. A dinosaur model kit.

357. A code book.

358. A library book.

359. A library card.

360. A piece of shrapnel.

361. A pair of pyjama bottoms (unclean).

362. A length of tartan material.

363. A number of exhibition catalogues.

364. A flag.

365. A tooth mug.

366. A tube of spot cream.

367. A kazoo.

368. A medical dictionary.

369. The tusk of a narwhal.

370. A battery-operated torch (rubber casing).

371. A handwritten map of the whereabouts of a grave (paper).

372. A pair of boots, one with raised heel and metal supports.

373. A cardboard theatre.

374. A book of illustrated stories.

375. A quantity of sand stored in a glass receptacle.

376. A pair of earphones.

377. A fob watch.

378. A soldier’s bayonet.

379. A blood-stained tea cosy.

380. A television’s remote control.

381. A saline drip.

382. A cheap piece of jewellery (engraved).

383. A roller skate.

384. A top hat.

385. A smoke alarm.

386. A corduroy jacket.

387. A brass doorknocker.

388. A fingerless shooting glove.

389. A medical bracelet.

390. A darning egg.

391. A boomerang (karenya wood).

392. A beer mat (with a telephone number written on it).

393. A radiator tap.

394. A job contract (to work at a waxworks exhibition).

395. A list of rules and conditions in the workplace.

396. A city map.

397. A hat pin.

398. A fragment of a wax ear.

399. A wooden hoop.

400. An ink pad.

401. A rubber stamp.

402. A blue sock.

403. A paintbox.

404. A nurse’s uniform.

405. A dunce’s cap.

406. A harmonica.

407. A miniature statue of Buddha.

408. A Saint Christopher medallion.

409. A pair of candy-striped braces.

410. An ostrich feather.

411. A soldier’s helmet.

412. A bottle of arsenic.

413. An artist’s preliminary sketches.

414. A circular saw blade.

415. A sculptor’s spatula.

416. A silver propelling pencil.

417. Moulds from a wax head.

418. A quantity of fair hair.

419. A wax foot.

420. A glass eyeball.

421. A silk headscarf.

422. A machine for counting notes of money.

423. A quantity of brown hair.

424. A postcard of the founder of a wax museum.

425. A kaleidoscope.

426. A black and white photograph (a family portrait).

427. A pair of black leather gloves.

428. A packet of cigarettes (unopened).

429. A metal cog.

430. A hot-water bottle.

431. An architect’s plan.

432. A number of matchstick boxes (all empty).

433. A quantity of ginger hair.

434. A wilted rose.

435. A sports trophy.

436. A silver bracelet.

437. A bow and arrow.

438. A wax pear.

439. A pair of tortoiseshell spectacles.

440. A child’s raincoat.

441. A dog’s lead.

442. A piano key.

443. A pair of swimming goggles.

444. A chorister’s gown.

445. A wind-resistant cigarette lighter.

446. A set square.

447. A protractor.

448. A compass.

449. A blunt pencil.

450. A schoolboy’s homework.

451. A silver tiepin (engraved).

452. A rifle’s telescopic lens.

453. A quantity of red ribbon.

454. An epaulette.

455. A black cotton waistcoat.

456. A pair of leather slippers.

457. A wheel from a hospital bed.

458. A bar of soap (lemon smelling).

459. Four tins of consommé soup.

460. A hearing trumpet.

461. An anglepoise lamp.

462. A ball, chain and ankle cuff.

463. A plastercast of a person’s teeth.

464. Milkshake powder in a plastic container.

465. A chocolate sculpted penis.

466. A tortoise.

467. A bottle of oil of cloves.

468. A dwarf’s dress.

469. A club membership card.

470. A reflex hammer.

471. A list of numbers to open a combination lock.

472. A police file.

473. A number of children’s paintings.

474. A photograph of a first communion.

475. A No Smoking sign.

476. A hipflask (full of brandy).

477. A lottery ticket.

478. A photograph of an old woman.

479. A human rib (believed to have belonged to a saint).

480. A snooker cue.

481. A meat pie.

482. A personal stereo.

483. Silk underwear.

484. Two floorboards.

485. A record.

486. A number of hair curlers.

487. A brass cigarette lighter.

488. A number of moth balls.

489. A stamp album.

490. A briefcase.

491. A receptacle for the remains of a dead person (plastic).

492. The remains of a dead person (ash).

493. A screwdriver (plastic handle).

494. A red satin bra.

495. A magnet.

496. A contact lens.

497. A fencing foil.

498. A pair of sunglasses.

499. A child’s first pair of shoes.

500. A fur hat with ear flaps.

501. A dentist’s grinder.

502. A mortarboard.

503. A pair of leather jackboots.

504. A bone drill.

505. A letter from a mother to her son.

506. Four peacock feathers.

507. A book of criminal statistics.

508. A book of fingerprints.

509. A wheelchair (collapsed).

510. A blue and green bobble hat.

511. A sextant.

512. A photograph of a six-year-old’s birthday party.

513. A number of chocolate eggs.

514. A wind chime.

515. An employee-of-the-month badge.

516. A washing line.

517. A piece of primitive pottery.

518. An unwashed shawl.

519. A camera obscura.

520. A collection of cat ornaments (china, porcelain, plastic, rubber, glass).

521. The leg from a small clockwork ballerina.

522. A boy’s collection of stolen bras (twelve pieces).

523. A matchstick model of a single-span bridge.

524. Two pig’s hearts in a pine box.

525. A pair of stonewashed jeans.

526. A children’s encyclopedia.

527. A large cactus.

528. An electric fan heater.

529. A silver cigarette case.

530. A hearing aid.

531. A photograph of a woman water-skiing.

532. Several teeth of a tiger.

533. A jar of mustard.

534. A bottle of pills (labelled).

535. A signed lithograph.

536. A clown’s make-up box.

537. A typewriter ribbon.

538. A pair of sunglasses.

539. A cine camera.

540. Cine film (exposed).

541. Reels of cine film (developed).

542. A polo-neck jumper.

543. A quantity of postcards.

544. A can of air freshener.

545. A steel and plastic fountain pen.

546. A phial of supposed virgin’s blood.

547. A music stand.

548. A stilt.

549. A terracotta ashtray.

550. A threadbare doormat.

551. A nun’s wimple.

552. A map of a foreign country.

553. An opium pipe.

554. A dry-cleaning collection ticket.

555. A dental brace.

556. A spark plug.