A new exhibition on the history of anatomy, Body of Knowledge, opened recently at Harvard and will be on display until December, 2014.
From the Harvard Museum of Science & Culture:
“Body of Knowledge” will explore the act of anatomizing not as a process of mapping a finite arrangement of bodily structures, but as a complex social and cultural activity. By means of a diachronic perspective, the exhibit narrative cuts through the multiplicity of anatomical practices, presenting three important moments in the history of anatomy: sixteenth century dissections and anatomical drawings, nineteenth century anatomical practices, and contemporary use of both cadavers and digital technology for anatomic education. “Body of Knowledge” hopes to capture the complexity of the many people, places, and meanings involved in human dissection.
Seen above is Harris P. Mosher lecturing at Harvard Medical School in 1929. The giant skull was made in the 1890s and is a piece in the new exhibit. I’d love to have that on display in my living room!
-RSB
