All Over Albany

A pair of very loyal mittens

The upside: these mittens come already trained.

Check out these mittens Flickr user Photos o' Randomness spotted in an exhibit at the Albany International Airport.

Does the sign in the case say "Collie Fur Mittens?" Yes. Yes, it does.

Here's the rest of the story:

Collie Fur Mittens
Gift of Mildred Anderson and Alice Wagner
In Memory of John M. Demick

These mittens are made from the fur of Mr. John M. Demick's beloved collie, who passed away of old age in 1906. Mr. Demick was an Adirondack guide and long time employee of the Oval Wood Dish Corporation in Santa Clara, NY.

Needless to say, we had to keep this post hidden from the AOA office dog. (You know, now that we think of it, we never have seen him get cold...)

This, um, piece is part of an exhibition called "A Remarkable Past: Objects of Outlandish Purpose and Astonishing Configuration." It's currently on display in ALB's gallery on the third floor of the terminal. From the blurb on the airport's site:

Objects featured in the collection are some of the quirkier items in each museum's collection, and they attest to the eccentricities and creative peculiarities of human nature. Through items such as turn-of-the-century electro-magnetic devices, a hulking 1930's fat reducing machine and a dog treadmill for powering farm equipment, we learn about our ancient compulsion for new technologies and inventive genius. A nineteenth century adult-sized cradle, mittens made from the fur of a treasured pet collie, an elaborately carved ivory and silver baby rattle and the calipers belonging to one of America's greatest sculptors reveal the vulnerabilities of youth and old age, and how we pass the time in between - with leisure, love, adventure and hard work. As individuals, the artifacts on view are curiosities that may confound or delight. Together they reveal a truly remarkable past.

The exhibition runs through March 29.

photo: Flickr user Photos o' Randomness