The Mutter Museum, part of Philadelphia’s College of Physicians, says it has investigated the ethics of displaying donated human remains.
Mutter Museum receives two preserved fetuses in a package
Philadelphia police are investigating an unusual package containing two fetuses in a bottle they received at the Mutter Museum Tuesday morning.
Fox – Fox 29
Philadelphia – For many years, the Mutter Museum has relied on its appeal as a reservoir of medical curiosity. Dozens of human skulls, fetal specimens, skeletons, of people with various pathologies,
There was a YouTube channel featuring shiny photos and appearance calendars for “Late Letterman with David Letterman” by late director Gretchen Warden, as well as videos about his death, illness and medical history.
However, one major issue loomed at the museum. The ethics of displaying human remains, many of which were donated from doctors or private collections. Therefore, from 2023, we began working on what is called the “Postmoltem Project.” An effort to provide clarity and context to items in a collection.
Two staff members – Erin McCreeley and Sarahray – have concluded the project, which was announced on August 19th.
The museum is part of Philadelphia’s College of Physicians, and dates back to 1787, claiming it as “the birthplace of American medicine.” Mütter aimed to educate medical students and the public about the differences between different pathology and physical human conditions.
Museums along medical institutions like Mutter were once much more common, said McCreeley, senior director of Mutter’s collections and research. “What’s unique about Mutter is that it survived.”
“We wanted to open up conversations with our visitors and understand and sometimes answer some of the questions about obstetrics and disabilities,” said Ray, senior director of interpretation and engagement.
McCreeley and her team embarked on a research project (still ongoing) to dismiss the human remains in the collection. You will learn not only the names of people whose skulls, skeletal structures and other pathology are on display, but also the names of those who are learning as people, but how they lived. How did these conditions affect daily life? That they and their doctors knew their condition. Whether they agreed to how and how their bodies were used to educate generations of doctors and the wider public.
It wasn’t easy. McCreeley had to resort to what she and her team could find, as so many items in Mütter’s collection came from doctors and private donors before the record standards became what they are today. They looked at genealogy records, modern news reports and medical records.
They were referring to one skeleton as an example. Tommy Jeff was a child born with hydrocephalus and had enlarged his skull. After his death in the 1880s, the boy whose body was sold to Mutter came from a poor black family, and his mother allowed the doctor to give his son’s body to the museum.
The museum says the two-year project has led to changes that allow visitors to learn more through interpretive signs and exhibitions that provide greater context. The museum held several public sessions to discuss how to coordinate programs and displays ethically and respectfully. The signs ask visitors to think more critically about what they are seeing, understand ethical considerations, think about who can tell the stories of people who cannot convey themselves, and understand historical contexts on issues like consent.
After deleting many videos on YouTube on YouTube, and then embarking on a posthumous project, over 400 people have been restored to the museum’s channel. The museum is hosting events to share discoveries with the public, and will resume more educational programming for the fall season.
