Rare Books & Medical Photography at the Dittrick Medical Museum

Go behind-the scenes at the Dittrick Museum and Medical History Center for a look at its offbeat and seldom-seen collections.

A wine and cheese reception in the museum gallery will kick things off, then meet Dittrick staffers Jim Edmonson, Jenny Nieves, and Laura Travis, who will each share a sampling of items not normally on view.

Jim, the Dittrick's Chief Curator, will present a selection of amazing rare books from the collections, dating from the time of Christopher Columbus to the 20th century. Normally viewed only by research scholars, these anatomy atlases and surgical works are breathtakingly beautiful and illuminate the medical past in a new way. Jenny, the Registrar and Archivist, will share a sampling of strange and wonderful objects from the Dittrick artifact collections, with special emphasis upon the history of contraception, a premier collection at the Dittrick.

Assistant Curator of Photography Laura Travis will present selections from the stunning collections of medical photography at the Dittrick, including the internationally famous collection of dissection room portraits (depicting med students with their cadavers, and as presented in the Dittrick's book Dissection) and the beautiful, if disturbing Corlett collection of dermatology images, documenting dread diseases from smallpox to syphilis.

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The Dittrick Museum on Atlas Obscura

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