It’s easy to miss the Museum of Interesting Things, as it sits in apartment 12P above Astor Place in New York City. Denny Daniel, the owner and curator of the museum, can be found amongst a clutter of vintage radios, phonographs and kinetoscopes. As you enter the small east village apartment, you will notice accents of maroon blankets and tablecloths draped around the room as a way to establish the museum’s color. It would be easy to mistake the museum as an episode of hoarders from 1902, owned by an equally chaotic man. Daniel has lived in his apartment for 10 years, with his cat Tristen, who can be found between stacks of 16mm films and hand woven carpets.
“The museum totally caught me off guard. I bought a ticket as a fun date idea for me and my girlfriend.” Says Allison Kritz, a recent patron of the museum. “His personality was so big and a little jarring if i’m being honest.” When asked, her girlfriend had similar sentiments. “There really was no organization. I didn’t know where to look.” Said Allison’s girlfriend, Elena Eshleman. “That being said, it is definitely a date we won’t forget anytime soon.”
After showing me around his apartment, describing his belongings to me in different cartoon voices, Daniel curled up in the corner of the couch. His mannerisms and conversation all mirrored a childlike state of wonder as he enthusiastically talked about his museum. Daniel, who started as a musician at the age of 9, has now dedicated his life to antiques. “My museum isn’t like other museums.” Says Daniel. “I’m like a gateway drug to those other museums.” The museum began 10 years ago, however Daniel’s interest in the vintage started long ago. “The first vintage thing I bought when I was 15 was a victrola. A lunchbox victrola.” A lunchbox victrola seemed very fitting, as it is an old record player from the early 1900’s. That victrola was catalyst for something Daniel never could have imagined. He started collecting in themes, being heavily attracted to old school record players.
It makes sense that Daniel’s inspiration for the museum would come from music, as that was such a big part of his life as he was growing up. “I wrote my first song when I was 3 years old.” Said Daniel. “By the time I was 9 I was in the recording studio, and I had my first band when I was 14 playing for 2,000 people at a time.” Daniel regails his time as a musician, skipping class in high school to play gigs and small festivals. “I was living two different lives. My family had no idea. I even once made it on MTV” While his music career was short lived, as his band broke up by the time he was 15 and a half. “I didn’t even realize I was a collector until I had a large collection of things suddenly.” Daniel reflects back on starting his collection, not totally understanding why he was attracted to antiques. “They are interesting to me. They all have a story.”
Today, he still feels as though he is the odd one out in his family. When asked how his family has adapted to the museum, Daniel replied “They think i’m crazy.” Being the only American born person in his family makes him often feel like the odd man out. Every person in his family was born in a different country, and his parents speak 9 different languages between the two of them. “My sister was born in Brazil, my brother was born in Israel, and my father was born in Georgia” This has given Daniel an appreciation for antiques from all cultures. “I feel comfortable wherever I go, no matter what. Being surrounded by so many cultures has taught me that.” This has helped inspire his collecting, as you can find a little of everything in his museum. “I named my museum The Museum of Interesting Things so that I could collect whatever I want. I don’t want to be pigeonholed into only doing one or two things.” You can find this cultural flair amongst a lot of his collections. The hand woven rugs brought back from India and the stack of old films from Russia are just a few of the items that stood out amongst a cluttered room of international treasures.
Along with the museum itself, he often brings it on the road and participates in pop festivals, does shows at schools and participates in a speakeasy event once a month. It is at these events where he will bring a theme antiques based on a theme. Sometimes it’s a suffragettes theme, a carnival theme, or a trip to the moon where he showcases vintage astronaut equipment from the 60’s.
Denny Daniel himself is a well read man who wears a lot of different hats. His eccentric personality makes him a great entertainment to his museum guests. “I’ve always been interested in a little bit of everything. That’s why my museum will always be a little bit of everything.” You wouldn’t ever guess that the man who gives hundreds of tours a year, speaks at many different conferences throughout the year, and was a prolific singer as a child would have any confidence issues, but Daniel argued that he is painfully shy. “I feel like throwing up sometimes when I know I have to be in front a big crowd.” This however, did not come across as he impersonated a Coney Island salesman, showing off his kinetoscope. Often times, Denny Daniel can be found speaking in front of medical students, showing them antiques from medical history. “I never thought I’d be giving medical lectures, I don’t know anything about medicine!”
Denny Daniel has the perfect personality to make the most of his museum. “My life is a series of accidents, mistakes, and bizarreness.” Daniel lived a life of blind passion for music and collecting when he was a child, which is seeming to pay off as an adult. While this museum started with a record player and an idea, it is quickly evolving into one of the most niche and talked about museums in the city. Known for its unconventional charm, the Museum of Interesting Things has a big future in the eyes of Daniel. “2019 is the year for my museum. I can feel it. I have so many ideas to help it grow, i’m ready for it to be on the A-list of museums, like the Whitney or the MoMA.” Patrons can be assured that the curations behind the Museum of Interesting Things comes from the mind of an equally if not more interesting man.