Shells and Pebbles

Byline: Simone Schleper

The Collapse of Western Civilization – satire against climate change deniers

The Collapse of Western Civilization is a small book, published last year by climate historian Naomi Oreskes and historian of space science Erik Conway. Only a few months out, it already had quite some publicity. Also on me, Oreskes’ and Conway’s narrative had a bigger impact than other recent climate scenarios. The booklet of 104…

August 24, 2015
‘Knife-less’ Dissection: Functions of fold-outs in 19th century anatomical culture

By Simone Schleper Around 1900, an unprecedented panoply of anatomical fold-outs emerged and sold across Europe and North America. Examples ranged from life-size models to supplementary inserts in thick health manuals and booklet-thin charts. As illustrative devises, fold-outs responded to a growing demand for anatomical models and illustrations by a broad authorship and audience. Yet,…

January 12, 2014
Philips’ Popular Manikin: Public Anatomy and Gender Stereotypes around 1900

By Simone Schleper Around 1800, the audience for anatomical knowledge was small and fairly elite. After the Anatomy Act of 1832 had put an end to the murders committed to procure bodies for dissection, the public image of anatomy became significantly less dreadful. In the following decades, popularizers, exhibitors, and publishers found ever more innovative…

October 6, 2013