Dominic Bubb chose….

A box of Christmas crackers

Ok I admit it I love all things kitsch, from a Tretchikoff print to a straw donkey from Benidorm. I'm not sure exactly where this love comes from, maybe it's a way of reminiscing about my childhood or just that I like things that most people would nowadays throw away or sell at a jumble sale. Whatever it is, it really made me want to choose these crackers as my object.

Dominic Bubb is an Exhibitions Officer for the Herbert

What the curator says:

Christmas crackers, 1963, collected in 1977

These crackers were bought from the Co-operative Society and were never used. Christmas crackers were invented in the 1840s by Thomas J Smith of London. At first crackers only included a motto, then the 'crack' – called a snap – was added. Today crackers usually include a paper hat, a gift and a joke, as well as the snap.