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Accidental Mysteries

Welcome to Accidental Mysteries, a weekly cabinet of curiosities set aside for your perusal and enlightenment. Not for the faint of heart or anyone whose head does not reach the top of my cane, here you will find objects of great mystery and design, uncovered and brought to light by the magic of the digital age. From the dusty backrooms of current and defunct museums, curiosity shops and the alchemist’s laboratory — I can say with epistemological certainty that these signs and wonders have oft been exposed after hiding amongst the populous in plain sight. Step inside to witness the gravures of yesteryear, the magnificent diagrams of failed inventions and the ontological scrawls of The Cartesian Other. Yes indeed, if you are not already in line I encourage you to do so, for the show is about to begin.

Accidental Mysteries is an online curiosity shop of extraordinary things, mined from the depths of the online world and brought to you each week by John Foster, a writer, designer and longtime collector of self-taught art and vernacular photography. “I enjoy the search for incredible, obscure objects that challenge, delight and amuse my eye. More so, I enjoy sharing these discoveries with the diverse and informed readers of Design Observer.”

Editor’s Note: All images are copyright of their original owners.