viz.

Image Credit: Sarlandière, Jean-Baptiste. Anatomie méthodique, ou Organographie humaine en tableaux synoptiques, avec figures.

(Paris: Chez les libraires de médecine, et chez l'auteur, 1829).

Historical Anatomies on the Web 

This week I thought I play far afield from my usual subject areas by exploring the image database for the National Library of Medicine, History of Medicine Division.  This database--Historical Anatomies on the Web--showcases many high-quality digital images of the NLM’s collection of illustrated anatomical atlases dating from the 15^th to the 20^th century.  The quality of the images, the detailed historical introductions to each anatomical atlas, and the descriptions of the illustration techniques all contribute to the immense pedagogical potential of this collection.

Accompanying this collection of images is an online exhibition called Dream Anatomy centered on the history of anatomy as a field.  This interactive online component of the database explores the many ways that anatomy has evolved and considers how the history of depicting the human body has always moved toward a “visual vocabulary of realism” (Dream Anatomy).

Image credit: Gersdorff, Hans von. Feldtbůch der Wundartzney : newlich getruckt und gebessert.

(Strassburg: Hans Schotten zům Thyergarten, [1528]).

Historical Anatomies on the Web

Both the images in the database and many in the online exhibition are in the public domain and so may be freely distributed and copied when given proper acknowledgement (click here for more on use).  While the collection is not easily searchable, it is incredibly fun to browse.  Each page is full of detailed thumbnails so scanning the many images in each atlas is a quick way to familiarize yourself with what types of illustrations are in the collection.  It seems likely that these images would be helpful for viz. readers working with or teaching the rhetoric of the body, the history of medicine, or the rhetoric of science.