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#ZoomMW! Focus on Forensics

For today's Museum Week post, we #Zoom in on the forensic collection of John George Spenzer--with the help of research assistant Elizabeth Fregaso. What she has discovered about our erstwhile toxicologist attests to the power of minutia, not only in solving crimes, but also in the day-to-day life of Cleveland's "Sherlock." Elizabeth Fregaso, Case Western Reserve University Born in 1864, Spenzer (fellow with the cane) had quite the drive to achieve, even from a young age. Though he was born in the United States, he moved to Germany at 15 years old, when American law at the time deemed him too...

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The People Behind (and in) the Museum

It’s #MuseumWeek, where museums around the world take to Twitter in a behind-the-scenes look at collections! Today’s theme is people. Follow us here on the blog, on Twitter and on Instagram all week to keep up with each event! #peopleMW Although the Dittrick Museum's collections primarily focus on medical tools and  artifacts, a close look around the galleries reveals a few human specimens ever ready to greet visitors with perpetual (and sometimes toothless) smiles. Like the surgical sets and pharmaceuticals they're featured next to, these specimens were also tools -- tools used to teach students about the human body. Our collections include many...

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The People Behind (and in) the Museum

It’s #MuseumWeek, where museums around the world take to Twitter in a behind-the-scenes look at collections! Today’s theme is people. Follow us here on the blog, on Twitter and on Instagram all week to keep up with each event! #peopleMW Although the Dittrick Museum's collections primarily focus on medical tools and  artifacts, a close look around the galleries reveals a few human specimens ever ready to greet visitors with perpetual (and sometimes toothless) smiles. Like the surgical sets and pharmaceuticals they're featured next to, these specimens were also tools -- tools used to teach students about the human body. Our collections include many...

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Secrets! The curious history of the Chamberlen forceps

It's #MuseumWeek, where museums around the world take to Twitter in a behind-the-scenes look at collections! Today's theme concerns secrets; join on here, on Twitter and on Instagram, to see what the buzz is about! #secretsMW Secret Instruments of Medicine! In 1569, a family of Huguenots (members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France) fled religious persecution and settled in England. Their surname name was Chamberlen, and this enterprising family forever changed the world of obstetrics. Described by Bryan Hibbard as bold, undaunted, and even unethical and “rogue”-like, the Chamberlens made as many enemies as friends, particularly in the practice of...

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