Weird Museums: The Umbrella Cover Museum
Alright campers, let’s take a little trip to Peaks Island, Maine. There, we’ll be meeting curator and director, Nancy 3. Hoffman. That’s right, her middle name is “three.” She plays the piano, the accordion, and she sings, but what she is mostly known for is her collection of Umbrella Covers. Today, we are visiting the Umbrella Cover Museum.
Image of Nancy 3. Hoffman (from the Portland Press Herald)
In case you were wanting more information on why Nancy’s middle name is the number 3, here you go. Originally, Nancy’s middle name was Arlene. In 1992, she decided to change her middle name, since she felt it was too ordinary. Nancy says she tried out all of the single digits, but “3” was the one she liked the most, so she legally changed it. One might wonder why she felt the need to have a digit as a middle name, and a single digit at that. Only Nancy can solve that riddle for us. Nancy, if you’re reading, the people want to know.
I would just like to tell you about what is on the home page of the museum's website, which is its origin story. "The Umbrella Cover Museum was founded in 1996 on Peaks Island, Maine by Director and Curator, Nancy 3. Hoffman. Having discovered that she had five or six umbrella covers she didn't know what to do with, and eventually stealing one from a local department store, she decided to start a museum. People flocked by the tens to see the museum, people were thrilled to donate their old umbrella sheaths, and the international press went bonkers."
Nancy holds the Guinness world record of the largest collection of Umbrella Covers. When she received her world record certificate, the official count was at 730 umbrella covers. She now has over 2,000, and these umbrella covers come from 71 different countries around the world.
Inside the museum, you’ll see interactive exhibits dedicated to educating visitors on the perils of climate change. There are regular-sized covers, as well as larger covers, and there is even a really small cover. If I saw it correctly, it seems to be about the size of a pinky finger. There is also what is clearly a golf club cover on display at this museum. I think Nancy is in denial about this piece, but she says the jury is still out on whether or not it is an umbrella cover.
Behind a closed door in this museum, there is a room full of “sexy covers” for adults only. Within that room, there are x-rated umbrella covers that you have to lift up a lid to get a look at. They didn’t show what exactly these x-rated images were in the video that I watched, but one can only imagine what an umbrella cover has to offer, pornographically speaking. You also have to show your ID to get into the sexy umbrella cover room.
(Image from visitmaine.com)
As we have discussed, museums have had to figure out ways to continue serving their community during this pandemic. A lot of museums have had to close their doors altogether, possibly providing a virtual tour option on their website. Nany 3. Was able to come up with another solution- bringing the museum outside. She set up a pavilion outdoors, so that museum guests would be able to safely enjoy the exhibit, while staying physically distanced. Now I know we all have the same burning question about this outdoor exhibit which is: “Are the sexy umbrella covers outside as well, and if so, how are they being hidden from the young eyes?” I wish I had an answer for all of you, but unfortunately I did not find any information on this in my research. Nancy 3., if you’re reading this, please tell us what you did with the sexy covers during the outdoor exhibit.
And so, in closing, I would like to read to you the mission statement of the Umbrella Cover Museum. “The umbrella Cover Museum is dedicated to the appreciation of the mundane in everyday life. It is about finding wonder and beauty in the simplest of things, and about knowing that there is always a story behind the cover.”