Cabinets of Curiosity

Calling all curators, public historians and communication experts in the making! The Cabinets of Curiosity on Floor 3 (Faculty of Arts Building) are calling your name. The Cabinets of Curiosity project brings together teams of History undergraduate students to co-create fun displays inspired by Renaissance cabinets of wonder. Each year, teams select a topic, put together a fantastic object collection, and organise their display. The finished cabinets are then open for all to view and wonder at in FAB, Floor 3. The launch party for this year's Cabinets will take place on Friday 27th February at 4pm.

Cabinets of curiosity

Also known as rooms of wonder, these stored and exhibited a wide variety of objects and artefacts, with a particular leaning toward the rare, eclectic, and esoteric.

For our 2025-6 project, the Cabinets explore the theme of heartbreak, considering the changing histories of romantic failure, break-ups, divorce, and bereavement in the past. The project has been led by Dr Sally HollowayLink opens in a new window, as part of her AHRC-funded project on heartbreak, emotions, and the body in nineteenth-century Britain. You can read more about the project 'After Love' hereLink opens in a new window.

The Music of HeartbreakLink opens in a new window

LGBTQ HeartbreaksLink opens in a new window

Ancient HeartbreaksLink opens in a new window

Lord Byron's HeartbreaksLink opens in a new window

Broken Heart SyndromeLink opens in a new window

Divorcing VictoriansLink opens in a new window

The HeartstringsLink opens in a new window

WidowhoodLink opens in a new window