event: Bodies Embalmed by Us Never Turn Black!
by Greg on Jun.30, 2009, under Science Event
Science of Embalming
Bodies Embalmed by Us Never Turn Black!
Feeling morbid this week? Learn about the history of embalming at Observatory’s exhibit, “Bodies Embalmed by Us NEVER TURN BLACK!: A Brief History of the Hyperstimulated Human Corpse.” In 1902, Carl Lewis Barnes and his brother Thornton created a large exhibition of embalmed corpses for the National Funeral Directors Association. They used Bisga Embalming Fluid, a product of their own invention, and the centerpiece of the show was the Bisga Man, a male corpse sitting upright in a chair with crossed legs, wearing a suit. This talk is about the corpse as an invented consumer product in mid-nineteenth century America.
Place: Observatory, 543 Union St.
Price: Free
