The Anatomy Lesson with Dr. George Rolleston
Photograph
ca. 1857 (made)
ca. 1857 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898) is best known by his pen name Lewis Carroll and as the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He was also a mathematics don at Christ Church, Oxford and a highly accomplished amateur photographer. He was particularly skilled at photographing his many 'child-friends' but also made numerous portraits of adults, including his Oxford colleagues.
Dodgson made this group portrait in the Anatomical Museum at Christ Church in 1857. Gathered around the skeleton of a fish are, from left to right, Dr. George Rolleston (1829-1881), professor of anatomy; William (or Charles?) Robertson, demonstrator of anatomy; and undergraduates Augustus Vernon Harcourt (1835-1919) and Heywood Smith (b.1838). This print, possibly on printing-out paper, was probably created by re-photographing an original albumen print of the image. Donated to the museum by the granddaughters of Augustus Vernon Harcourt (a chemistry don at Christ Church from 1859 to 1902), it is likely to have been made by one family member for another around the time of Harcourt's death.
Dodgson made this group portrait in the Anatomical Museum at Christ Church in 1857. Gathered around the skeleton of a fish are, from left to right, Dr. George Rolleston (1829-1881), professor of anatomy; William (or Charles?) Robertson, demonstrator of anatomy; and undergraduates Augustus Vernon Harcourt (1835-1919) and Heywood Smith (b.1838). This print, possibly on printing-out paper, was probably created by re-photographing an original albumen print of the image. Donated to the museum by the granddaughters of Augustus Vernon Harcourt (a chemistry don at Christ Church from 1859 to 1902), it is likely to have been made by one family member for another around the time of Harcourt's death.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Anatomy Lesson with Dr. George Rolleston (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Albumen print |
| Brief description | Copy photograph after Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), 'The Anatomy Lesson with Dr. George Rolleston', 1857 |
| Physical description | Photograph after Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) of Dr. George Rolleston (1829-1881), professor of anatomy delivering a lesson to three other men (William or Charles Robertson, demonstrator of anatomy, and two undergraduates, A.V. Harcourt and Heywood Smith. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Gallery 100 ‘A History of Photography’, 2014-2015, label text:
Charles Dodgson (1832–98)
The Anatomy Lesson with Dr George Rolleston
1857, printed later
Dodgson is best known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He was also a mathematics don at Christ Church, Oxford and a highly accomplished amateur photographer. Dodgson made this group portrait of an anatomy lesson in the Anatomical Museum at Christ Church in 1857. The original print was rephotographed by a contemporary to create this copy.
Albumen print
Given by Rachel and Pamela Schiele
Museum no. E.1145-2008
(06 03 2014) |
| Credit line | Given by Rachel and Pamela Schiele |
| Object history | The fish skeletonis probably from a stonefish (Family Synanceiidae), notorious for their powerful and dangerous venom glands as well as their bizarre cryptic features. Linnaeus described the species Synanceia horrida. George Rollaston was a Fellow of the Linnean Society. |
| Summary | Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898) is best known by his pen name Lewis Carroll and as the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He was also a mathematics don at Christ Church, Oxford and a highly accomplished amateur photographer. He was particularly skilled at photographing his many 'child-friends' but also made numerous portraits of adults, including his Oxford colleagues. Dodgson made this group portrait in the Anatomical Museum at Christ Church in 1857. Gathered around the skeleton of a fish are, from left to right, Dr. George Rolleston (1829-1881), professor of anatomy; William (or Charles?) Robertson, demonstrator of anatomy; and undergraduates Augustus Vernon Harcourt (1835-1919) and Heywood Smith (b.1838). This print, possibly on printing-out paper, was probably created by re-photographing an original albumen print of the image. Donated to the museum by the granddaughters of Augustus Vernon Harcourt (a chemistry don at Christ Church from 1859 to 1902), it is likely to have been made by one family member for another around the time of Harcourt's death. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1145-2008 |
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| Record created | January 12, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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