Phrenology head

Metadata

Title

Phrenology head

Description

Phrenology head. Hollow plaster, incised PHRENOLOGY on the front, with areas of the head delineated and numbered . A partially missing label on the back lists the numbered areas and psychological attributes.

Phrenology is based on the belief that certain delineated areas of the brain are responsible for different functions, and that an individual’s personality and character can be ascertained by studying the corresponding bumps and indentations on the person’s skull. The theory was developed by German physician Franz Joseph Gallin in the 1790s, and further advanced by his assistant Johann Gaspar Spurzheim. Phrenology faced skepticism from the scientific community, but enjoyed immense popularity with the American public throughout the 19th century. Today, phrenology is regarded as a pseudoscience.

Extent

11.75" H

Medium

Plaster

Provenance

Found in collection

Collection

General Collection, Museum Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia

Identifier

2018.13.01

Rights

http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html