museum

museum piece

Someone or something that is particularly aged or old-fashioned (thus likened to something belonging in a museum). Wow, where'd you get this museum piece? Does it even still work? My grannie is a museum piece of the intolerance and bigotry of the 1950s.
See also: museum, piece
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

museum piece

An elderly or old-fashioned item or person, as in When are you going to sell that museum piece of a car? or Aunt Jane comes from another era-she's a real museum piece. This expression originated about 1900 for an article valuable enough for museum display but began to be used disparagingly from about 1915.
See also: museum, piece
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

museum piece, a

An old-fashioned or decrepit item or person. Basically this term is a genuine description of an item of value or rarity that was used ironically or pejoratively from about 1915 on. John Galsworthy used it in Swan Song (1928): “The girl and her brother had been museum pieces, two Americans without money to speak of.”
See also: museum
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • museum piece
  • museum piece, a
  • pet
  • Mrs. Astor's pet horse
  • Mrs. Astor's plush horse
  • Astor
  • in the train of (someone)
  • look at
  • look at (someone or something)
  • Keep your hands to yourself
References in classic literature
Ohe, bhisti!' he called to the water- carrier, sluicing the crotons by the Museum. 'Give water here.
'It was a boy who came to me in place of him who died, on account of the merit which I had gained when I bowed before the Law within there.' He pointed towards the Museum. 'He came upon me to show me a road which I had lost.
Kim stood amazed at this, because he had overheard the talk in the Museum, and knew that the old man was speaking the truth, which is a thing a native on the road seldom presents to a stranger.
Kim
But what a run there seems to be upon your Black Museum!"
I was standing with my back to the chair in which I had been asleep; behind the chair was the round lodging-house table; and there, reposing on the cloth with the whiskey and sandwiches, was the whole collection of Raffles Relics which had occupied the lid of the silver-chest in the Black Museum at Scotland Yard!
A Thie in the Night
"Ah, very interesting, very interesting, but nothing to what they have in the museum at Naples or in Pompeii itself.
Raffles Further Adventures Of The Amateur Cracksman
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said laid the foundation stone for the Oman Across Ages Museum in Manah in July 2015.
A UNIFIED CARD FOR ENTRY TO PUBLIC MUSEUMS IN OMAN ON THE ANVIL
A number of museum experts from 24 European countries will today during the conference, at different panels, organized by the War Childhood Museum and the European Museum Forum (EMF) discuss numerous topics, such as new museum ideas, new ways of accessing the local context, world history, the environment and literature.
Aksoy: Museum experts have a duty to talk about the importance of peace
Museums in Taipei, including the National Palace Museum (NPM), Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), National Taiwan Museum, among many others will offer free entry this Saturday.
Museums across Taiwan offer free entry Saturday for International Museum Day
Salt and Pepper museum Salt and Pepper Shaker museum Image Credit: Facebook/Salt and Pepper Shaker museum
9 of the world's weirdest museums
"We have a lot to talk about, because this year the activity of the museum has entered a new stage, first of all, attendance rates are steadily increasing.
2018 was successful for Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Each ticket grants the ticket holder, and one guest, free access to any participating museum on September 22, 2018.
14 area museums to offer free admission this Saturday
Anjum said: 'We have asked for Rs600m for five years from the Punjab government for restoration of the Lahore Museum. The amount also includes expenditure on restoration of the Lahore City Heritage Museum'.
Art, craft gallery in heritage museum on the cards
Malay Mail recently interviewed a few museum owners to find out why they are doing what they do as well as how they have been surviving as most offer free admission or a minimal charge.
Private museums all the rage in Perak