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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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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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