Morbid Curiosities

By Samuel J.M.M. Alberti,

Book cover of Morbid Curiosities: Medical Museums in Nineteenth-Century Britain

Book description

In the first comprehensive study of nineteenth-century medical museums, Morbid Curiosities traces the afterlives of diseased body parts. It asks how they came to be in museums, what happened to them there, and who used them.

This book is concerned with the macabre work of pathologists as they dismembered corpses…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Morbid Curiosities as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

It took me far too long to explore the history of medicine and the links between Egyptian mummies and medicine. Now, that’s all I talk about, and this book was pivotal in doing just that.

It’s a fascinating dive into the collections of human remains in Britain but is also an observation of the construction of medical knowledge through bodies. It is an academic book, one that I couldn’t put down.

After reading it, I started to explore the history of mummies and medicine and uncovered another story about a mummified foot. While Denon and Gautier were drinking coffee in…

If you love Morbid Curiosities...

Ad

Book cover of Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS By Amy Carney,

When I was writing this book, several of my friends jokingly called it the Nazi baby book, with one insisting it would make a great title. Nazi Babies – admittedly, that is a catchy title, but that’s not exactly what my book is about. SS babies would be slightly more…

Want books like Morbid Curiosities?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Morbid Curiosities.

Browse books like Morbid Curiosities

Book cover of The Mummy's Foot
Book cover of The Archaeology of Race: The Eugenic Ideas of Francis Galton and Flinders Petrie
Book cover of The Whole Picture: The colonial story of the art in our museums & why we need to talk about it

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,593

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the human body, mummies, and London?

The Human Body 49 books
Mummies 17 books
London 869 books