Gunnar H. Gundersen has around 300 different mousetraps in his collection. This is ten of his favorites. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

Professor Gunnar H. Gundersen at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA) has collected and researched mousetraps for almost twenty years and has about 300 various types from around the world. It is the different designs and solutions that fascinate the Professor of Product Design.

– I like that a simple, everyday object like a mousetrap can accommodate so many opportunities for discussion. Everything from cultural differences, ethics, use of materials and different ways to communicate a message, he says in this article published on the research website forskning.no.

– It is also interesting that there are mousetraps in all countries and cultures, he adds.

But there are cultural differences. One example is that there are not used glue traps in Scandinavia.

– No snobbishness

It all started as an educational program for students in product design, in which Gundersen used the traps to show the opportunities within the field.

– Mousetraps have everything, and are a professional and visual experience for all who are concerned about design.

– There is no snobbishness involved. Everything is made ​​as simple as possible. Nothing gets in the way of the constructions, and thus also the constructions get more transparent and easier to interpret, says Gundersen.

Professor Gundersen’s Ten Favorites

Most beautiful mousetrap:

Perhaps the most human of them all: The ceramic trap from Tunis. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

A ceramic trap from Tunis. It is the jewel in the collection and the only one made of ceramics. The model has been produced for thousands of years and is found in archaeological excavations in the Middle East. In this trap the bait is attached with a thread, and the lid falls down when the mouse chews it off. The trap has air holes and is designed to capture the mouse alive so that it can be released.

Most diabolical mousetrap:

French trap, where the mice are tricked to hang themselves… (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

French trap with the descriptive name of “Lucifer”. Here the mouse gets hanged and strangled. It must chew off a thread to reach the bait and eventually hangs itself.

Most advanced mousetrap:

Perhaps inspired by the electric chair? (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

“Victor Multi-Kill”, is an electronic mousetrap from the U.S. The box glows green when it is activated and ready to use. With bait placed on the stairs, the mouse is tricked into the box where it dies of electric shock. After the job is done, the mouse is automatically rolled into a pull box. The box has room for ten mice before it has to be emptied, and then the light will turn yellow.

Most bizarre mousetrap:

All in one: Both trap and coffin for those poor mice. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

The “Kill & Seal” disposable trap from the U.S is in itself a classic RAPP-trap, just built-in. There are several reasons why it is bizarre:

• How it totally seals the animal to avoid the discomfort associated with death in the form of a dead mouse.
• Because the manufacturer has made ​​the trouble to produce such a sophisticated device in the form of production tools.
• That it is for single use only. It takes a lot of resources to make a coffin for each mouse.
• That there is a market for this trap.

Simplest design mousetrap:

The do-it-yourself-trap. But do not forget peanut butter. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

“Spinning Jenny” is the name Professor Gundersen has given this trap. It can be made from a Coca-Cola or beer can and a steel stick. The can is smeared with peanut butter. The trap is usually placed above a bucket that optionally is filled with water.

Most gentle mousetrap:

The Swedes make traps considering that the mice are going to be set free. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

The Swedish mousetrap is a cage of steel. The mouse is not hurt when it is captured. The cage is designed for the mouse to be set free and the material usage shows that it is designed to protect the animal. The cage is attached to a particle board. If it is attempted to kill the mouse by drowning, like several mouse traps are designed for, the trap will disintegrate and be destroyed.

Most popular mousetrap:

This classic ensures a quick and efficient death. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

The classic RAPP-trap is best known. The mousetrap is produced worldwide and was invented in the U.S. in the 1890s. The hammer gives the mouse an effective blow over the neck so that it dies instantly.

Most quirky mousetrap:

The mouse dies after being thrown against the wall. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

“Ketch-All” from the U.S. This mousetrap contains a lot of advanced mechanics. After the mouse is lured into the box, it is channeled into a chamber and dies after being thrown against the wall at high speed.

Best name mousetrap:

A sticky Italian. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

007! The mousetrap is named after Ian Fleming’s British Secret Service agent James Bond. It is from Italy and is a tube of glue.

Funniest illustration mousetrap:

The death of a mouse can be macabre, but it helps with a little humor. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward, HiOA)

This mousetrap packaging from USA, with illustration of a dead mouse, is the funniest – especially because it is a rather macabre trap. There are many different visual expressions of mice in the mousetrap industry. Many are funny, possibly to sweeten what it is all about.

Text modified by: Thor Lanesskog, ThorNews

Source: forskning.no

Categories: Culture, Design, Quirky