Congress for Curious People, London Edition, August 29th to September 8th: Save the Date(s)!!!

In just a few weeks, Morbid Anatomy and our partners--Strange Attractor, UCL's Preserved! and The Coney Island Museum--will be launching the second annual London edition of the Congress for Curious Peoples. This year's Congress has the theme “Spectacular Cultures," and will present a variety of lectures, performances, open houses and tours at at a number of underseen curious venues around London with the aim of entertaining, delighting, amazing, educating and opening up discussion about the nature of spectacle and the spectacular.

The Congress will end in a two-day symposium on “Reclaiming Spectacle”, which will include panels of academics, museum professionals, rogue scholars and artists discussing the intricacies of collecting the spectacular, the politics of bodily display, non-human spectacles, religion and the occult. In conjunction with the events The Horse Hospital will host "Ethel Le Rossignol: A Goodly Company" an exhibition of stunningly beautiful channelled psychic artworks painted in the 1920s by the largely unknown medium and artist.
 
A few of our confirmed presenters thus far include:

• Bergit Arends, independent curator, London 
• Carla Connolly, curator of Barts Pathology Museum
• Chiara Ambrosio, Filmmaker and visual artist
• Richard Barnett, Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow
• Dr Gavin Broad, senior curator, Hymenoptera, Natural History Museum 
• Brian Catling, artist, London
  Dr Tim Cockerill, artist and zoologist, London
• Eleanor Crook, sculptor and medical artist, London 
• Subhadra Das, Curator, UCL Teaching and Research Collections (Biomedical and Galton)
• Tessa Farmer, artist, London 
• Will Fowler, curator of artists’ moving images, BFI, National Archives
• Christina Harrington, director of Treadwell’s Bookshop
• Mervyn Heard, professional lanternist, London
• James Kennaway, Durham University
• Dr Matt Lodder, art historian, London 
• Ross MacFarlane, Research Officer, Wellcome Library, London 
• Dr. Bill MacLehose, senior lecturer in History of Science and Medicine, UCL 
• Anna Maerker, Senior Lecturer, History of Medicine, King's College London
• Eleanor Morgan, artist, London 
• Dr. Pat Morris, former lecturer in Zoology and mammal ecologist 
• Prof Dr Dietmar Rübel, art historian, Art Academy Dresden
• Shannon Taggart, Photographer/independent researcher
• Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of the National Fairground Archive, The University of Sheffield
• John Troyer, Deputy Director, Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath
• Simon Werrett, Lecturer, Science and Technology Studies, UCL
• The Real Tuesday Weld 

While a selection of confirmed venues include:

• Old Operating Theatre 
• St Bart’s Pathology Museum 
• Apiary Studios 
• Swedenborg Hall 
• Grant Museum 
• The Horse Hospital

Stay tuned, as very soon we hope to release a full programme, plus ticketing details. For all this and more as it becomes available, please keep checking back here, or visit the Congress website by clicking here. And hope to see you at one or more of these terrific events!

Call for Papers: "Monstrous Antiquities” Archaeology and the Uncanny in Popular Culture, University College London, November 2013

"Monstrous Antiquities”
Archaeology and the Uncanny in Popular Culture
UCL Institute of Archaeology, 1-3 November 2013

Haunted ruins, cursed artefacts, arcane rituals and ambulant mummies:archaeology and the ancient world have provided some of the most effective andubiquitous scenarios for tales of horror and the supernatural. Authors andfilmmakers such as MR James, Bram Stoker and Terence Fisher have drawnheavily upon popular conceptions of both the ancient past and the work of the archaeologist.

This conference aims to study and celebrate this long and productive relationship. We are keen to hear from scholars and aficionados of the fictional world of uncanny archaeology including archaeologists, historians, writers and artists. The programme will include all genres where the ancient meets the ghastly including music, television, literature, film, and art. The conference will be held at UCL on 1-3 November 2013.

Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words to the organisers John Johnston, Gabriel Moshenska and Tina Paphitis at monstrousantiquities [at] gmail.com by 31 August.

Thanks so much to my good friend Betsy Bradley for sending this my way! Click on image to see larger, more readable version.

The Enigma of the Margate Shell Grotto, Kent, England

Was it the Romans... the Knights Templars... a persecuted religious group?
There are many more questions than answers and perhaps that is how it was always meant to be. The Grotto's chameleon uniqueness allows it to be a place of worship, an unlikely folly, a secret meeting place, Cretan, Phoenician, a Georgian extravagance, or even 19th-century folk art, is part of its very essence. For many its mystery, magic and charm lies intrinsically in its very existence, but for those who favor one theory over another it is a conversation piece, which has sparked vigorous debate for the best part of two centuries. And may well continue to do so for two more!

Who can say? You can find out more on the Margate shell grotto website, from whence the above quote was drawn, by clicking here.

All photos are my own; the bottom photo's caption reads "a seance photographed in the Altar Room in 1939."  You can see many more photos here.

Macabre Canterbury Cathedral

On a recent and wonderful trip to Canterbury and Margate (thank you, Julie Anderson, Phoebe Harkins and Ross MacFarlane!), I spent a good hour wandering around legendary Canterbury Cathedral. It was certainly far more sedate than any church you'd find in Italy, but it did have its highlights.

My favorite piece was a skeleton bedecked tomb-like monument (top four images) located in side altar; the fact that a bat was flying around the otherwise solitary space at the time of my visit certainly contributed to the atmosphere. There as also a lovely death's head-embellished flat monument (fifth down) in the main nave and, in the crypt, a deeply arresting charred and gold-leaf embellished Pieta with an interesting back story; created in 1904 for a church in Munich, it was damaged by fire in 1986. Afterwards, as the Canterbury Cathedral website explains, it was:

‘discovered’ by Stefan Knor, a lighting artist. Inspired by the powerful charisma of this seriously damaged piece of art, Stefan did not try to restore the sculpture...

... He also gave the sculpture some artistic treatment by the partial application of 24 carat gold leaf, turning it into a new contemporary piece of art. The gold is now visible alongside the black charred wood and the grey ash. It is on display with orange lighting, an essential part of this installation, which accentuates the contrast between what is charred and what is gilded. The sculpture is accompanied by an old wooden box into which visitors place their written prayers.

The Pietà has had its own death and recreation. The whole surface suffered burns and was so charred that it was replaced by a copy. Yet, since the moment that the Pietà was placed in the Cathedral on 4th April, there has been excitement and delight from those who work and volunteer here, as well as from our many visitors. It speaks of hope and light in the darkness for those who are suffering or in pain.

All images my own, except the bottom, which was found, along with the quotation above,  on the Canterbury Cathedral website. Visit this website to find out more.

Jeweled Skeletons! Reliquary Dolls! Taxidermy! Ex Votos! Day of the Dead! Upcoming Morbid Anatomy Events in Brooklyn and Mexico

Jeweled skeletons and book party with Dr. Paul Koudounaris, author of Empire of Death (image above, from the book)! Taxidermy! Ex Votos! Wax reliquary dolls!

Full info follows on all events; Hope to see you at one or more!

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Wearable Taxidermy Workshop with Beth Beverly, Rogue Taxidermist and Fashion Designer at Diamond Tooth

Date: Saturday, July 27

Time: 12 - 6:30 pm

Admission: $150

Must RSVP to RSVP Email: diamondtoothtaxidermist(at)gmail.com

This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Students will be provided with pre-skinned and tanned chicken hide elements (wings, tails, heads, etc) along with millinery hardware and all the glues, threads, chain, and miscellaneous decorative elements to create a one of a kind custom taxidermy headpiece.

Starting with the malleable hide parts, students will be instructed on how to manipulate, fill and and position the feathered sections while anchoring them to the metal hardware using foam mannequin heads (provided) for stability.  Millinery accents like netting, crinoline, jewels and metal embellishments can then be added to complete the students' own personal design, finishing off the workshop with instruction on lining the inside and adding a personalized garment tag.

Students will leave with their new wearable piece of fashion taxidermy, along with printed out lesson sheets and sourcing info so that they may employ these new skills for life.

Philadelphia’s premiere rogue taxidermist, Beth Beverly specialises in wearable taxidermy. Her hats have won awards at the Devon Horse Show, Brandywine Polo and Radnor Hunt Clubs. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, plus galleries such as La Luz de Jesus, Art in the Age and Michael Vincent Gallery. In 2010 Beverly won "Best in Show" at the annual Carnivorous Nights competition in New York. Currently featured as an "Immortalizer" on AMC's series about competitive taxidermy, she relishes in being photographed wearing her work and defying common stereotypes of taxidermists.

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Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Divya Anantharaman
Date: Saturday, August 10
Time: 12:30 - 5 PM
Admission: $110
Advance Tickets Required; Tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/392363
Email divya.does.taxidermy at gmail dot com with questions or to be put on wait list
Class limit: 10
This class is part of the Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Anthropomorphic taxidermy--in which taxidermied animals are posed into human attitudes and poses--was an artform made famous by Victorian taxidermist and museologist Walter Potter. In this class, students will learn to create--from start to finish--anthropomorphic mice inspired by the charming and imaginative work of Mr. Potter and his ilk. With the creative use of props and some artful styling, you will find that your mouse can take nearly whatever form you desire, from a bespectacled, whiskey swilling, top hat tipping mouse to a rodent mermaid queen of the burlesque world.

In this class, Divya Anantharaman--who learned her craft under the tutelage of famed Observatory instructor Sue Jeiven--will teach students everything involved in the production of a fully finished mount, including initial preparation, hygiene and sanitary measures, fleshing, tail stripping, and dry preservation. Once properly preserved, the mice will be posed and outfitted as the student desires. Although a broad selection of props and accessories will be provided by the instructor, students are also strongly encouraged to bring their own accessories and bases; all other materials will supplied. Each student will leave class with a fully finished piece, and the knowledge to create their own pieces in the future.

Also, some technical notes:

• We use NO harsh or dangerous chemicals.
• Everyone will be provided with gloves.
• All animals are disease free.
• Although there will not be a lot of blood or gore, a strong constitution is necessary; taxidermy is not for everyone
• All animals were already dead, nothing was killed for this class.
• Please do not bring any dead animals with you to the class.

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Ex Voto Making Workshop with Master Jeweler Karen Bachmann
With Art Historian and Master Jeweler Karen Bachmann

Date: Sunday, August 11

Time: 1 - 5 pm

Admission: $150

***Must pre-purchase tickets at http://exvoto.brownpapertickets.com; 8 person limit

This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

An Ex-voto is an offering made in fulfillment of a vow, usually offered to a particular saint or other divinity. The term is Latin in origin, short for ex voto suscepto –“from the vow made." Ex-votos are placed in chapels, shrines, and other places of pilgrimage to offer thanks for blessings, healing, and to seek grace. Such places of pilgrimage have been found throughout history and in such diverse places as Egypt, Italy, and Mexico.

As ex-votos are often associated with miraculous healing, the forms they take reflect the healed body part. Hearts, lungs, legs, arms, heads, breasts, crutches, etc. often find themselves replicated in embossed and sometimes painted metal which adorn the walls of chapels in fantastic array. They are sometimes accompanied by written verse as well. Such ex-votos stand not only as tokens of thanks, but also as testaments of faith to other viewers.

This class will demonstrate how to construct from sheet metal an ex-voto of one’s own choosing. Using metal sheers and embossing tools, students will learn how to lay out a design and create their own individualized ex-voto suitable for hanging on a wall (chapel or otherwise). Metal and tools will be supplied. Samples will be shown, as well as anatomical images suitable for reproduction. Please bring sketchpad and pencil.

Karen Bachmann is a fine jeweler with over 25 years experience, including several years on staff as a master jeweler at Tiffany and Co. She is a Professor in the Jewelry Design Dept at Fashion Institute of Technology as well as the School of Art and Design at Pratt Institute. She has recently completed her MA in Art History at SUNY Purchase with a thesis entitled Hairy Secrets:... In her downtime she enjoys collecting biological specimens, amateur taxidermy and punk rock.

Image found here.

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Heavenly Bodies – Jeweled Sacred Skeletons of the 16th Century
Illustrated lecture and book party with Dr. Paul Koudounaris, with music and artisinal cocktails by Friese Undine
Date: Friday, October 11
Time: 8:00
Admission: $8
**Copies of Heavenly Bodies will be available for sale and signing

Tonight, Dr. Paul Koudounaris--author of Empire of Death, the definitive book on ossuaries--will present a heavily illustrated talk based on his new book Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, the story of skeletons discovered in the Roman Catacombs in the late sixteenth century.

These largely anonymous skeletons were presented as the remains of Early Christian martyrs, and treated as sacred. They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses in German-speaking Europe to replace the holy relics that had been destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. Here, the skeletons would be carefully reassembled and richly adorned with jewels and precious costumes by teams of nuns. Intended as flamboyant devotional items, they are now considered some of the finest works of art ever created in the medium of human bone. As time passed, faith in these sumptuously decorated skeletons--once an important part of the spiritual life of many people--wavered, until finally they were cast out during the Enlightenment as remnants of a superstitious and embarrassing Catholic past.

Largely forgotten in the annals of religious history, Dr. Koudounaris gained unprecedented access to religious institutions where the surviving decorated skeletons are held. His photographs are the first that were ever taken of many of them, and the images which will accompany his lecture are bizarre, moving, and beautiful.

Dr. Paul Koudounaris holds a PhD in Art History (UCLA) and has taught classes at numerous universities and published in magazines throughout the world. He is the author of The Empire of Death, the first illustrated history of charnel houses and religious sanctuaries decorated with human bone. Named one of the ten best books of 2011 (London Evening Standard), it has garnered international attention for its combination of unique historical research and stunning photography.

Photo: Photo by Dr. Paul Koudounaris, tonight's speaker, from his new book "Heavenly Bodies."

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Reliquary Wax Doll Workshop with Artist and Ceroplast Sigrid SardaDate: Saturday, October 26th and Sunday October 27th
Time: 1 – 6:30 PM
Price: $350
Must RSVP via sigrid.sarda(at)gmail.com to sign up.
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Wax artist Sigrid Sarda has returned for a special 2 day class teaching the art of doll making. This class will revolve entirely on the creation of a wax doll in the image of the student’s chosen saint with the relic of their choice.

The wax doll represented as a human figure has always fascinated man. In early times these dolls were connected to witchcraft, magic, exorcisms for priests, and effigies. For this class they represent talismans and reliquaries for the student’s own personal interpretation of the saint’s meaning. The doll then becomes an object of prayer and veneration.

Each student will receive a handmade wax doll by Sigrid, either male or female and in turn will learn to set eyes, root hair, color the skin tone and add special physical quirks the saint may have, an example being stigmata or a particular wound. The student will then realize their own decorated costumes for the saints using patterns in the art of Victorian paper clothes making for dolls.

First day schedule:

• short talk on the history of the wax doll and everyone’s chosen saint and what it
• means to them.
• inserting glass eyes
• rooting hair
• Lunch break
• rooting hair, beginning of skin coloring and adding any special physical quirks.

Second day schedule:

• finish up skin coloring and quirks
• insert / add relic
• lunch break
• make and decorate clothing for doll
• dress doll

Materials are included though the student is expected to bring their own relic. The relic can be a lock of hair, a fingernail, bone, anything that has meaning to the student. The trims, spangles and paper for the costumes are either antique or vintage as are the glass eyes.

The dolls will be approx 6"-8".

Sigrid Sarda is self taught in the art of ceroplastics. She has been featured on such programs as The Midnight Archive, TV's Oddities, and has exhibited in London and NYC. She has an upcoming residency at The Gordon Museum in London, recreating the Black Dahlia for NoirCon 2014 and will be giving a demonstration in the art of medical wax moulage for The New York Academy of Medicine this fall.

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SOLD OUT!!! Death in Mexico: A Special Field Trip to Mexico for Day of the Dead, Obscure Macabre Museums, and other Sites Important to the History of Death in Mexico October 31 - November 4
A 4-day trip to Mexico focusing on sites influential to the Mexican history of death, organized by Mexican writer and scholar Salvador Olguín and Morbid Anatomy
Dates: October 31  -  November 4 2013 (**Must reserve by July 20)
Includes: Two Day of the Dead Festivals; Special tours of The Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum), The Museo Nacional de la Muerte (National Museum of Death), and The José Guadalupe Posada Museum, and a visit to historical Hidalgo market in Guanajuato, the Zacatecas Cathedral, the Temple of the Jesuit Order and other beautiful places.
Cost: $600.00 USD (Includes all hotels, luxury ground transportation, museum admissions, and breakfasts; airfares not included)
PLEASE NOTE: non-refundable down payment of $250.00 required by July 20 to reserve) Email info@borderlineprojects.com info [at] borderlineprojects.com with questions.

This Halloween season, why not join Morbid Anatomy and Mexican scholar Salvador Olguín for a very special 4-day, 4-night trip to Mexico for our favorite holiday, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead?

With Mexican writer and history of death in Mexico scholar Salvador Olguín as our guide, this tour will introduce attendees to some of the of lesser-known macabre destinations in Mexico holding unique gems associated with the culture of death. Our journey will take us to two off-the-beaten-track Day of the Dead celebrations, special tours of obscure museums, markets selling Day of the Dead and Santa Muerte artifacts, churches, cemeteries, and, throughout, great regional cuisine (and drink!) and luxury transportation.

Departing from Monterrey, the trip will take us to the beautiful, historical colonial cities of Guanajuato, Zacatecas and Aguascalientes to experience an area traditionally described as wild and untamed within Mexico. This region of Mexico is uniquely important to the history of death in Mexico in that it was the home of both José Guadalupe Posada and Joaquín de Bolaños, author of the first official Mexican biography of Death La Portentosa Vida de la Muerte published in 1792.

Attractions include:

• Two Day of the Dead celebrations
• The Guanajuato The Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum)
• The Museo Nacional de la Muerte (National Museum of Death)
• The José Guadalupe Posada Museum,
• The Hidalgo market in Guanajuato, a historical market where attendees can buy Day of the Dead and Santa Muerte souvenirs
• Temple of the Jesuit Order
• A plethora of stores and other places for shopping, delicious food, an evening tour of Guanajuato with live music included, and much more.

October 31
We recommend arriving in Monterrey on the evening of Halloween, October 31. We will have a Halloween celebration, Mexican style, and we will depart to our first destination early in the morning of November 1st.

November 1st  - Monterrey/Guanajuato
We will convene in Monterrey, Mexico at 7:30 in the morning, and leave for the city of Guanajuato by bus. Mexico’s Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum) makes the small Colonial city of Guanajuato the star of this tour. The Mummy Museum has been displaying the naturally mummified bodies of people buried in the local cemetery for almost 150 years. A combination of dry weather, a mineral-rich soil, and a potent concentration of minerals in the water makes every person who has lived and died in Guanajuato a potential mummy, according to local lore. The museum itself is a wonderful combination of the macabre and the kitsch. You can visit the actual cemetery and see real mummies, but you can also visit the ‘modern’ Halloweenesque section of the museum, and eat charamuscas, a sugary candy shaped like a mummy.

November 2nd – Zacatecas
Zacatecas, another small Colonial city in Northern Mexico, was the home of Joaquín de Bolaños, author of the first official Mexican biography of Death. La Portentosa Vida de la Muerte was first published in 1792, and was quickly condemned by the literary elites and some prominent officers of the Inquisition. The book managed to survive, and nowadays the City of Zacatecas honors Bolaños, its prodigal son, with a festival named after him around Day of the Dead.

November 3rd – Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes was the birthplace of José Guadalupe Posada. Posada’s Calaveras have become icons of the festivities around Día de Muertos. In this city, we will visit the José Guadalupe Posada Museum, which houses original illustrations by Posada and other engravers of the time. The tour includes an exclusive visit of the Museo Nacional de la Muerte (National Museum of Death.)

We will be back in Monterrey by November 4 after 5:00 p.m. Please consider this for your traveling arrangements. For more information, contact  info [at] borderlineprojects.com

Cost: $600.00 USD - airfares not included, non-refundable down payment of $250.00 required by July 20 to reserve . Email info [at] borderlineprojects.com for questions.

The $600 fee covers land transportation in a luxury bus, traveler insurance, lodging (double rooms at hotels), taxes, breakfasts, guided tours, tickets to all museums, special visits to some of the sites, and special treats.

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Full list and more information on all events can be found here. More on the Morbid Anatomy Art Academy can be found here.

You can find out more about all events here. Photo Dr. Paul Koudounaris, from his new book Heavenly Bodies.

Uncanny Folk Customs on Film! Fictitious Animals in Early Modern Bestiaries! The Final Two Evenints of the Morbid Anatomy Lecture Series at The Last Tuesday Society

This week marks, I am very sad to report, the very last week of The Morbid Anatomy Lecture Series at London's Last Tuesday Society.

Tomorrow night--Wednesday July 24th--please join us for an evening of short films from the in which our guest, William Fowler of the BFI, will screen and introduce a number of rare and beautifully shot historical films from the BFI National Archive showcasing deeply uncanny and fascinating British folk customs, music, and dance.

The following night--Thursday July 25th--you won't want to miss an illustrated lecture by Daniel Margocsy exploring the relationship of  the creative imagination and and science during in the early modern period as played out in printmakers’ fictitious images of unicorns, camels and monkfish found in the botanical and zoological encyclopedias of the time.

Following are full details for these two remaining nights of the Morbid Anatomy Lecture Series at The Last Tuesday Society; Hope very much to at one, the other, or better yet, both!

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"Here's a Health to the Barley Mow: a Century of Folk Customs and Ancient Rural Games" Screenings of Short Films from the BFI Folk Film Archives with William Fowler

24th July 2013

Doors at 6:30 / Talk begins at 7:00 pm

Ticket price £7; Tickets here

Tonight, the British Film Institute's William Fowler will present a number of rare and beautiful short films from the BFI National Archive and Regional Film Archives showing some of our rich traditions of folk music, dance, customs and sport. Highlights include the alcoholic folk musical Here's a Health to the Barley Mow (1955), Doc Rowe’s speedy sword dancing film and the Padstow Mayday celebration Oss Oss Wee Oss (Alan Lomax/Peter Kennedy 1953).

The programme provides a taste of the BFI's 6-hour DVD release 'Here's a Health to the Barley Mow: a Century of Folk Customs and Ancient Rural Games', a rich and wide-ranging collection of archive films from around the UK.

William Fowler is curator of artists' moving image at the BFI National Archive and co-programmes the cult cinema strand at Flipside at BFI Southbank.

More here.

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Of Satyrs, Horses and Camels: Natural History in the Imaginative Mode: illustrated lecture by Daniel Margócsy, Hunter College, New York

25th July 2013

Doors at 6:30 / Talk begins at 7:00 pm

Ticket price £7; Tickets here

This talk argues that the creative imagination played a crucial role in the development of science during the scientific revolution. Modern, natural knowledge emerged from the interaction of painters, printmakers, artisans, cartographers, and natural historians. All these practitioners carefully observed, pictured and cataloged all the exotic naturalia that flooded Europe during the Columbian exchange. Yet their collaboration did not end there. They also engaged in a joint, conjectural guesswork as to what other, as yet unknown plants and animals might hide in the forests of New England, the archipelago of the Caribbean, the unfathomable depths of the Northern Sea, or even in the cavernous mountains of the Moon. From its beginnings, science was (and still is) an imaginative and speculative enterprise, just like the arts. This talk traces the exchange of visual information between the major artists of the Renaissance and the leading natural historians of the scientific revolution. It shows how painters’ and printmakers’ fictitious images of unicorns, camels and monkfish came to populate the botanical and zoological encyclopedias of early modern Europe. The leading naturalists of the age, including Conrad Gesner, Carolus Clusius and John Jonstonus, constantly consulted the oeuvre of Dürer, Rubens and Hendrick Goltzius, among others, as an inspiration to hypothesize how unknown, and unseen, plants and animals might look like.

Daniel Margocsy is assistant professor of history at Hunter College – CUNY. In 2012/3, he is the Birkelund Fellow of the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. He has co-edited States of Secrecy, a special issue of the British Journal for the History of Science on scientific secrecy, and published articles in the Journal of the History of Ideas, Annals of Science, and the Netherlands Yearbook of Art History.

More here.

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All talks and workshops take place at The Last Tuesday Society at 11 Mare Street, London, E8 4RP map here) unless otherwise specified; please click here to buy tickets. More on all events can be found here. Click on images to see larger versions.

Bottom image:  From the film The Wicker Man; found here.

Special "Morbid Curiosity Issue" of United Academics Journal of Social Sciences Now Available for Download!

I am delighted to announce the release of a brand-new "Morbid Curiosity" themed issue of United Academics Journal of Social Sciences. I was co-editor of the issue, which is available digitally for ipad or iphone download by clicking here. 

Within (if you can say that about an ibook!) you will find such delights as a a beautiful, photo-heavy feature by Empire of Death's Paul Koudounaris on crime-solving human skulls in Bolivia (top image); an article about anthropomorphic taxidermy inspired by Sue Jeiven's über-popular Morbid Anatomy Art Academy workshop (2nd image); a wonderful video-rich featurette about Ronni Thomas and his Midnight Archive project; an interview with Morbid Anatomy founder Joanna Ebenstein (bottom image); and an article on death in Mexico by Morbid Anatomy Scholar in Residence Salvador Olguín.

Screenshots above are all taken from the iphone version, which I just downloaded. You can download your own copy by clicking here
 
Top photo: Paul Koudounaris

"Death in Mexico" Guest Post and Field Trip Deadline!

Following is a guest post by the lovely Ms. Laetitia Barbier, who has been quietly and brilliantly running Brooklyn's Morbid Anatomy as Head Librarian since March. When she heard about the upcoming Morbid Anatomy "Death in Mexico" field trip, she was so excited that she asked if she could write a guest post about a similar pilgrimage she took back in 2009. 

Our "Death in Mexico" field trip, which will take place October 31-November 4, will be led by Mexican writer and scholar Salvador Olguín and will include two Day of the Dead festivals; special tours of The Museo Nacional de la Muerte (National Museum of Death; top image); The Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum; 2nd and 3rd image), and The José Guadalupe Posada Museum. There will also be visits to the historical Hidalgo market in Guanajuato, the Zacatecas Cathedral, the Temple of the Jesuit Order.

If you are interested in joining us on what promises to be an amazing trip, you *must* register by this Saturday, July 20th; all questions can be directed to info [at] borderlineprojects.com. You can find complete information about the field trip by clicking here.

Following is Laetitia's guest post; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Celebrated as the “most surrealist country in the world” by poet Andre Breton during his 1938 journey, Mexico seems to have conserved its uniqueness and profound beauty despite the challenges of rough economic realities and the constant pressure of narcotraffic. Mexico revels in intense visual experience which, inevitably, peaks in delight and splendor around The Day of The Dead. During the weeks of preparation preceding this one night event, the all country revealed, through its legions of skeletons, an ambiguous relationship that Mexicans maintain with Death.

In 2009, I spent two month frolicking in Mexico, realizing a longtime personal dream: a solo journey to survey death and its myriad avatars, from the historical past of the country to its contemporary culture, surveying domains like criminology, religion, the arts, and even... wrestling. Once there, I soon realised that the very mexican obsession with death went far beyond the folklore of Dia de Los Muertos. Once the sugar skulls are gone, the mexican predilection for the Macabre is still palpable. In Mexico, Death is a permanent spectacle, reminding one of Mexico's storied relationship with death tracing back to the pre-hispanic gods, the Jesuit missionaries, the inquisition and the Revolucion. Both revered and feared, Death is a major fragment of the Mexican Identity.

When Joanna told me about her idea of having field trip in Mexico for the Day of the Dead, I was, of course, extremely excited. Its a wonderful thing to be able to visit this country when the all population are preparing their home for their beloved spirits to return; seeing the fragile skeletons of the Angelitos in Guanajuato was probably one of the most incredible experience I ever had.   

You can find out more about the upcoming Death in Mexico field trip by clicking here.

 

All images © Laetitia Barbier; Captions, top to bottom: 

1. “Angelito” is the name given to stillborn babies. This one belong to the Museo National de la Muerte.
2. Guanajuato Mummies
3. Guanajuato Mummies
4. A Santa Muerte Statue in its Church of Mexico City
5. Ex Votos in antique store
6. The Old Funeral Parlor of Guanajuato and its collection.
    

Archaic Medicinal Amulets! Vampires of London! Folk Customs on Film! Mythological Animals! The Final Two Weeks of the Morbid Anatomy Lecture Series at The Last Tuesday Society

This week marks, I am sad to say, the second to last week of The Morbid Anatomy Lecture Series at London's Last Tuesday Society. Tonight--Monday July 15th--we are delighted to be hosting the delightful Ross MacFarlane of the The Welcome Library; He will be delivering an illustrated talk on the amulet collection of Edward Lovett (1852-1933), who "amassed one of the largest collections of objects pertaining to 'folk medicine' in the British Isles" (see examples in images above). This Thursday, we are equally delighted to welcome good friend Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor Press and William Fowler of the BFI for their "cinematic survey of The Vampires of London" in which they will, with film clips galore, explore "London's Highgate Cemetery as a locus of horror in the 1960s and 1970s cinema, from mondo and exploitation to classic Hammer horror."

Next week hope to see you for our evening of short films from the BFI pertaining to British folk customs (Wednesday July 24th) and an illustrated lecture on the natural history of mythical creatures such as satryrs in early modern illustrated books (Thursday July 25th).

Following are full details for all of these few remaining nights of the Morbid Anatomy Lecture Series at The Last Tuesday Society; Hope very much to see you at one or more!

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From Blue Beads to Hair Sandwiches: Edward Lovett and London's Folk Medicine: An Illustrated lecture with Ross MacFarlane, Research Engagement Officer in the Wellcome Library

15th July 2013

Doors at 6:30 / Talk begins at 7:00 pm

Ticket price £7; Tickets here

During his life Edward Lovett (1852-1933) amassed one of the largest collections of objects pertaining to 'folk medicine' in the British Isles. Lovett particularly focused his attention on objects derived from contemporary, working class Londoners, believing that the amulets, charms and mascots he collected - and which were still being used in 20th century London - were 'survivals' of antiquated, rural practices. Lovett, however, was a marginal figure in folklore circles, never attaining the same degree of influence as many of his peers. Whilst he hoped in his lifetime to establish a 'National Museum of Folklore', Lovett's sizeable collection is now widely dispersed across many museums in the UK, including Wellcome Collection, the Science Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Cuming Museum.  This paper will offer an overview of the range of healing objects Lovett collected, the collecting practices he performed and recent efforts to rehabilitate his reputation.

Ross MacFarlane is Research Engagement Officer in the Wellcome Library, where he is heavily involved in promoting the Library's collections, particularly to academic audiences. He has researched and given public talks on such topics as the history of early recorded sound and the collecting activities of Henry Wellcome and his members of staff.  Ross is a frequent contributor to the Wellcome Library's blog and has had led guided walks around London on the occult past of Bloomsbury and the intersection of medicine, science and trade in Greenwich and Deptford.

More here.

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The Vampires of London: A Cinematic Survey with William Fowler (BFI) and Mark Pilkington (Strange Attractor)

18th July 2013

Doors at 6:30 / Talk begins at 7:00 pm

Ticket price £7; Tickets here

This heavily illustrated presentation and film clip selection explores London's Highgate Cemetery as a locus of horror in the 1960s and 1970s cinema, from mondo and exploitation to classic Hammer horror.

William Fowler is curator of artists' moving image at the BFI National Archive and co-programmes the cult cinema strand at Flipside at BFI Southbank.

Mark Pilkington runs Strange Attractor Press and is the author of 'Mirage Men' and 'Far Out: 101 Strange Tales from Science's Outer Edge'. 

More here. 

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"Here's a Health to the Barley Mow: a Century of Folk Customs and Ancient Rural Games" Screenings of Short Films from the BFI Folk Film Archives with William Fowler

24th July 2013

Doors at 6:30 / Talk begins at 7:00 pm

Ticket price £7; Tickets here

Tonight, the British Film Institute's William Fowler will present a number of rare and beautiful short films from the BFI National Archive and Regional Film Archives showing some of our rich traditions of folk music, dance, customs and sport. Highlights include the alcoholic folk musical Here's a Health to the Barley Mow (1955), Doc Rowe’s speedy sword dancing film and the Padstow Mayday celebration Oss Oss Wee Oss (Alan Lomax/Peter Kennedy 1953).

The programme provides a taste of the BFI's 6-hour DVD release 'Here's a Health to the Barley Mow: a Century of Folk Customs and Ancient Rural Games', a rich and wide-ranging collection of archive films from around the UK.

William Fowler is curator of artists' moving image at the BFI National Archive and co-programmes the cult cinema strand at Flipside at BFI Southbank.

More here.

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Of Satyrs, Horses and Camels: Natural History in the Imaginative Mode: illustrated lecture by Daniel Margócsy, Hunter College, New York

25th July 2013

Doors at 6:30 / Talk begins at 7:00 pm

Ticket price £7; Tickets here

This talk argues that the creative imagination played a crucial role in the development of science during the scientific revolution. Modern, natural knowledge emerged from the interaction of painters, printmakers, artisans, cartographers, and natural historians. All these practitioners carefully observed, pictured and cataloged all the exotic naturalia that flooded Europe during the Columbian exchange. Yet their collaboration did not end there. They also engaged in a joint, conjectural guesswork as to what other, as yet unknown plants and animals might hide in the forests of New England, the archipelago of the Caribbean, the unfathomable depths of the Northern Sea, or even in the cavernous mountains of the Moon. From its beginnings, science was (and still is) an imaginative and speculative enterprise, just like the arts. This talk traces the exchange of visual information between the major artists of the Renaissance and the leading natural historians of the scientific revolution. It shows how painters’ and printmakers’ fictitious images of unicorns, camels and monkfish came to populate the botanical and zoological encyclopedias of early modern Europe. The leading naturalists of the age, including Conrad Gesner, Carolus Clusius and John Jonstonus, constantly consulted the oeuvre of Dürer, Rubens and Hendrick Goltzius, among others, as an inspiration to hypothesize how unknown, and unseen, plants and animals might look like.

Daniel Margocsy is assistant professor of history at Hunter College – CUNY. In 2012/3, he is the Birkelund Fellow of the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. He has co-edited States of Secrecy, a special issue of the British Journal for the History of Science on scientific secrecy, and published articles in the Journal of the History of Ideas, Annals of Science, and the Netherlands Yearbook of Art History.

More here.

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All talks and workshops take place at The Last Tuesday Society at 11 Mare Street, London, E8 4RP map here) unless otherwise specified; please click here to buy tickets. More on all events can be found here. Click on images to see larger versions.

Top two images: Edward Lovett Amulets Gallery, The Wellcome Collection

Bottom image: Journal of Victorian Culture Online

Museum of Hunting and Fishing (Deutsches Jagd und Fischereimuseum), Munich, Germany; Guest Post by Eric Huang

One of my favorite people in all the world--the delightful and intrepid Eric Huang (aka dinoboy)--took a trip to the Munich Museum of Hunting and Fishing (Deutsches Jagd und Fischereimuseum) a few weeks ago. His findings were so interesting that I asked him to write a guest post for the readers of Morbid Anatomy:

Munich's Museum of Hunting and Fishing (Deutsches Jagd und Fischereimuseum) houses hunting artefacts. There are vintage knives, drinking horns, paintings, and taxidermy galore. Cool stuff, sure, but at first glance the museum is profoundly ... meh. Other museums tackle the topic in more extensive, confronting, beautiful ways. That said, Deutsches Jagd und Fischereimuseum is worth a visit for two reasons.

The museum is on consecrated ground (top 2 images), namely a 13th century church in disrepair called Augustinerkirche. Taxidermy mounts replace stations of the cross, an Irish Elk skeleton stands in place of a crucifix in the nave, and a collection of the Snow Queen's finest hunting sleds forms the the altar.

Even better than the location is something that makes the Munich museum truly unique: wolpertingers (images 5-7). The size of a rabbit, often winged, antlered, sometimes fanged and reptilian, always dangerous: wolpertingers are rabbit-like animals from Bavarian folklore. Jackalopes are arguably North American wolpertines, though much less terrible than the Bavarian varieties.

The first wolpertinger encounter is in a diorama nestled between the native bird and mammals sections of the museums. Later on, wolpertines get their own room - oddly adjacent to a depiction of prehistoric humans. The exhibition also includes prints  illustrating the anatomy and dissection of a wolpertine. This bottom photo shows two animals in the act of creating a wolpertinger!

There was also a temporary exhibit of human hunting archetypes. The focus was on Vikings, culminating in an entire wall about Thor with Marvel comics and movie posters from the latest film. Asterix also makes an appearance. It reminded me of a school fair.

To find out more about the Munich's Museum of Hunting and Fishing (Deutsches Jagd und Fischereimuseum), click here. To find out more about the delightful Eric Huang, click here.