• Birth and Death Dates…

    I’m currently conducting my research through the 19th Century British Library Newspapers Database. I found this: So if Curtis died in 1852 at age 68, that would mean he was born in 1784, not 1778 as most secondary accounts note. I also have another source from the archives stating he died in 1852; most accounts… Continue Reading

  • UofT Workshop: Visual Representation in Science

    Aaron is organizing a fantastic workshop to be held at IHPST in December. There’s a great list of speakers and promise of a scintillating discussion. If you’re interested in attending, drop Aaron an email. I’ve had this event penciled in my agenda since I first heard of it–truly excited for this!

  • Monday Series: The Criminalized Body II

    Welcome to the second Monday Series on “The Criminalized Body.” If you missed the first one, simply click here. A Deterrent for Murder in a Culture of Dissection The 1752 “Murder Act” reads Whereas the horrid crime of murder has of late been more frequently perpetrated than formerly…it is thereby become necessary, that some further… Continue Reading

  • Survey Says…

    First off, a big heartfelt thanks to everyone who took the survey and to those that passed on the survey link all over the blogosphere, posted on their blogs, and through various listervs. Special thanks goes to Michael for all his twitter feeds linking the blog and for assisting me when I needed help. Thanks!… Continue Reading

  • Margaret J. Osler (1942-2010)

    University of Calgary historian of science Margaret (Maggie) Osler sadly passed away yesterday in a Calgary hospice, from a serious stroke following an earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in July. Her new book on the Scientific Revolution, Reconfiguring the World: Nature, God and human understanding from the Middle Ages to Early Modern Europe, was just released by The Johns Hopkins… Continue Reading

  • The Giant’s Shoulders #27

    The September carnival is now up over at Entertaining Research! Thanks for adding me and I would like to officially welcome fellow Toronto Blog Collective (TBC) bloggers Aaron, Jon, and The Bubble Chamber to their first inclusion into the carnival! Welcome and congrats!  Oh yes, this means the pressure for all TBC bloggers and HPS bloggers across the ‘net… Continue Reading

  • King Goa Chair

    The instrument maker F.C. Rein created this acoustic throne for King John VI of Portugal (also called King Goa VI). According to the Deafness in Disguise Exhibit, King John VI used the throne from about 1819 until his death in 1826, while ruling from Brazil. The King’s chair was equipped with a large receiving apparatus… Continue Reading

  • Article Link: “The Analytical Spirit and the Paris Institution for the Deaf-Mutes, 1730-1860”

    As I’m researching for my dissertation, I’m finally digging through a giant pile recent articles from the past years on topics relevant to my dissertation. I thought I’d share some interesting ones with you. Christine Aicardi (University College London) published a piece, “The Analytical Spirit and the Paris Institution for the Deaf-Mutes, 1730-1860” in History… Continue Reading

  • Monday Series: The Criminalized Body I

    Dear Reader, I thought it’d be a good idea to do a series of posts on a topic irrelevant to my own research, but which I find fascinating. The series will be posted on Mondays and the first of the series will be focused on “The Criminalized Body,” providing perspectives on body politics and anatomy legislations… Continue Reading

  • The Regent’s Park: A Charity Fair for the Royal Dispensary

    This representation of a fête champétre and ladies’ bazaar was created by the London lithographer Maxim Gauci (1774-1854). Active from 1810 to 1846, Gauci was amongst the first popular lithographers, producing numerous botanical plates for various publications.[1] This particular print illustrates the lively atmosphere of one of the annual events held in support for the… Continue Reading

  • Publication: “Learning From Artifacts”

    I spoke about my experiences at the  “Reading Artifacts” summer institute before; the fourth edition of Spontaneous Generations has published my review–“Learning From Artifacts: A Review of the ‘Reading Artifacts: Summer Institute in the Material Culture of Science.’” Yay, me!