Sigurdur Hjartarson, a former teacher with 37
years experience from Iceland is the proud
founder and owner of the world's largest penis
collection. He set up the Phallological
Museum because he felt that 'Somebody had
to do it.'
His ballsy exhibition has 282 penises of
different shapes and sizes, from 93 different
species of animal across the globe.
Sizes vary from a huge sperm whale's 1.7-
metre phallus - the largest exhibited - to the
tiny penis bone of a hamster.
Among the
genitals on display are those of a polar bear,
dolphins, a walrus, fish, an elephant and a
man. Visitors can also look at a range of
genital-themed artefacts. Hjartarson's bizarre
fascination began as a child in 1974 when he
was given a bull's penis to use as a whip on
animals and he opened his museum in 1997
with 62 specimens.
He told AFP: "Some of my teachers used to
work in summer in a nearby whaling station
and after the first specimen they started
bringing me whale penises, supposedly to
tease me.
"Then the idea came up gradually that it
might be interesting collecting specimens from
more mammalian species."
The fascination for all things penis has even
become a family business. Hjortur Sigurdsson,
the founder’s son took over in 2011 and set
about modernising the museum.
"It all started as a joke. My father had fun
just collecting, doing something no one has
done before. He always said 'somebody had to
do it." He told AFP
Visitors can pick up souvenirs like "Designer
condoms" and woollen "willy warmers", knitted
to resemble a snake and an elephant's trunk.
0 comments: