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 15th to the 20th 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.
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