Author: Kalia_K

Comstock Cemeteries

Historic graveyard set against the barren Virginia City hills

Virginia City, home of Comstock Lode, the United States’ first major discovery of a silver ore deposit in 1859, is also home to several captivating cemeteries.

Located side by side over many acres within the boundaries of the Virginia City National Historic Landmark, the cemeteries memorialize the diverse laborers who made Virginia City a boom town. Just as society at the time was divided ethnically, religiously and professionally, the cemeteries are likewise divided.

The cemeteries were once a collection of well kept Victorian parks, an oasis of green in a harsh desert. Currently erosion gullies, overgrowth and water run-off are all causing damage to the cemeteries, as well as vandalism, theft and counter productive restoration efforts. Some credit these 19th century cemeteries to be the predecessors to America’s national parks, though only glimpses of their former glory can be seen.

Read more about Comstock Cemeteries on Atlas Obscura…

Category: Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries
Location: Nevada, US
Edited by: Kalia_K

Bangkok, Thailand | Museums and Collections

The Counterfeit Goods Museum in Bangkok, Thailand is in a somewhat unconventional location for a museum: it is located in a downtown skyscraper, in the working law office of Tilleke & Gibbins.

When one steps off the elevator on the 26th floor, they are greeted by a guide who works in the law office. It is then that it all begins to make sense. The guide explains that companies hire them to find and stop the counterfeiting of their products.

The museum is made up of actual items; items donated by the companies as well as the counterfeited items themselves. While they have about 3,000 confiscated items, but only have space to show 500 at a time. The guide also informs you that 95% of knock-off goods are made in China, and that they once seized a shipment at the Thai border with 150,000 pairs of shoes!

Counterfeit items ranged from brand name clothing and accessories (Gucci, Ed Hardy, Adidas, etc.) to food products (yikes), toys (the display had Dragon Ball Z figurines), cell phones, books, all the way to automobile parts.

There was a small case full of calculators and our guide explained how real Casio calculators don’t have a CE button. Next time you are calculator shopping, keep an eye out for Casio impostors! The guide also hit home the fact – this is of course her job – that counterfeit products can be dangerous. Automobile parts, food, or electronics with no safety testing or regulation can be disastrous. Ironically, upon leaving the museum, one needs to walk no more then a few blocks

As it is in a working law office, the museum accepts guests by appointment only. Sending an email should be sufficient.

Bangkok, Thailand | Miniatures

Ancient City, or Ancient Siam offers something few other places can. A tour of Thailand’s greatest architecture…via golf cart.

A park of reduced scale and full size replicas of the important buildings in Thailand, the park’s goal is to bring the Thai people back to their roots, that of the ancient Siam Kingdom. You can ride bikes (2 and 3 seaters as well) or speed around in a golf cart through the park which, besides having copies of Thailand’s landmarks, is also Thailand-shaped.

Some buildings are duplicated from the original, others are recreations of buildings that have since been destroyed or have fallen into ruin, and the rest are simply creative design. Not all the buildings are fakes however, and at least one wooden temple was moved from north Thailand and reconstructed. A good place for lunch is the Thai floating village.

One particularly interesting (and totally made-up) building is set in the water and has a huge open mouthed fish wrapped around it. Another high light is the reproduction of Sanphet Prasat Palace in Ayutthaya. It’s a huge replica with intricate and ornate decoration. One can walk around the beautiful grounds, and through the large palace hall. Though in spite of it being a copy, you still aren’t allowed to sit on the thrones.

Moscow, Russia | Small Worlds and Model Towns

Take a trip back in time with this 400 square feet model. Created in 1977 by 300 workers for the 60th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, is a very detailed depiction of the USSR’s capital. This scaled piece of propaganda by Russian artist Efim Deshalyt was designed to be visited and admired and ultimately to show that the Soviet Union’s capital was more magnificent than any Western capital.

Located in the city’s municipal building, the elaborate lighting system makes the model very realistic. There are lighting variations between daylight and night time. Also, every window is lit, even windows of the boats on the river. With no Soviet backing, the exhibit is now losing money, mainly due to the high electricity costs to keep it lit. Some workers wouldn’t mind seeing it destroyed, since it takes up so much space and electricity. While the model is no longer visited by loyal party members, it is visited by curious tourists who want a peek of the Soviet Moscow of yesteryear. It is currently for sale with an asking price of $3 million dollars.

Brooklyn, New York | Musical Wonders

New York is full of classical music halls, the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, but perhaps the most interesting venue for chamber music is on the hull of an old barge.

BargeMusic is a unique venue moored under the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Dumbo (an acronym meaning Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is an area of Brooklyn that in the 1880s was full of industrial buildings, most notably home to the Brillo company which made steel wool. Today Dumbo, though still dwarfed by the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, is home to design studios, pricey condos, and hip venues. But the 100-foot barge, built in 1899, started with a rather less chichi task then the one it occupies today. It carried hand-loaded sacks of coffee for the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.

The barge was renovated in 1977 by Olga Bloom and family. Staten Island’s maritime scrap yard helped Olga out with her ambitious project by providing paneling, mahogany stripping and benches from the retired original Staten Island Ferry, The American Legion.

Referred to as New York City’s “Floating Concert Hall”, BargeMusic features established and emerging artists and is known for its excellent acoustics, intimate setting and great view of the Manhattan skyline. Considered a must see for both music and barge aficionados alike.