The Malarkey Duster Origins Story

The following four short films trace the Institute’s account of Patrick Mulholland’s discovery, the mystery that followed, the later rediscovery of his material, and the unexpected consequences of its examination. They may be viewed in sequence or individually.

Chapter 1  —  The Discovery

Patrick Mulholland and the Temple

In the early 1920s, Irish archaeologist Patrick Mulholland followed fragmentary reports deep into the Andes. There he encountered the remains of an ancient temple, a series of puzzling objects, and repeated images of a remarkable golden-plumed bird. What began as an ordinary field expedition soon became rather more difficult to explain

Chapter 2  — The Temple Mystery

What the Temple Seemed to Say

The temple offered clues, but very few answers. Feathers, vessels, cloth, pigment and carved stone appeared to form part of a recurring pattern, yet its purpose remained uncertain. Mulholland recorded what he could, interpreted what he dared, and departed with considerably more evidence than certainty.

Chapter 3  — Lost, Found and Examined

The Records Reappear

For decades, Mulholland’s material passed quietly through storage, catalogues and forgotten boxes. When it was eventually rediscovered, the Institute began asking a simple question: what, exactly, had he brought home? Examination produced many inconclusive results — and one finding that was considerably harder to dismiss.

Chapter 4  — Reconstruction 

From Specimen to Something Else

The surviving biological material proved sufficiently viable to justify further work. What followed was cautious, uneven and occasionally surprising. Development became difficult to ignore, the resemblance to Mulholland’s records became stronger, and the Institute eventually found itself confronting an altogether more practical question.

Chapter 5  —   The Institute Takes Custody 

From Collection to Custodianship

The reconstruction had answered one question and created several others. As Mulholland’s surviving records, specimens and field materials were brought together, the Institute assumed formal custody of the collection. Provenance was established, the archive consolidated, and the reconstructed object refined into what would become the Institute Edition. What began as an historical inquiry had become an ongoing a matter of Custodianship

 The story continues in the present 

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