Rare specimens of comparative craniology: an old maid's skull phrenologised. – Historic Print
![Rare specimens of comparative craniology: an old maid's skull phrenologised., [ca. 1815] — historic print](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/01/01ed7f25c97b-L.webp)
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
This historic print of Rare specimens of comparative craniology: an old maid's skull phrenologised. brings a moment of history to your wall. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.
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Rare specimens of comparative craniology: an old maid's skull phrenologised.
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A spinster's skull is the punchline of this etching, which presents an old maid's head as a scientific specimen and marks its bumps with the traits phrenologists claimed to find there. Phrenology, the theory that character could be read from the shape of the skull, was popular in Britain when this satire appeared around 1815, and cartoonists enjoyed mocking both its pretensions and the unmarried women it was used to belittle. The print is credited to F.C. Hunt after a drawing by E.F. Lambert, though the date and attribution come from an unverified caption card.
| Created / published | [ca. 1815] |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 print : etching. |
| Notes | Hand-colored(?) etching by F.C. Hunt after drawing by E.F. Lambert. Forms part of : British Cartoon Prints Collection (Library of Congress). This record contains unverified data from caption card. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 1,536 × 1,455 px · prints to 5 × 5 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-157827 |
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