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Skull

Photograph
ca.1880-1885 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This skull seems to float in space and parts have been removed. It was mounted on a wooden panel and prepared for teaching purposes. It shows the right side of an adolescent (or young adult) human female skull. The out-bone of the right side of the maxilla and the corpus mandibulae have been removed to reveal the roots of the teeth and unerupted teeth.

The photograph may be of a skull kept in the Royal College of Surgeons in London, because the mode of preparation is typical of that college. The photograph was printed in black ink by the photogravure process, a high-quality reproductive technique introduced in 1879. This provides an arresting quality. The work has now become more a poetic symbol or image rather than a teaching aid for students of dentistry, thus transcending its original purpose.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSkull (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Photogravure
Brief description
Anon. Human skull in profile.
Physical description
Black and white photograph (actually a photogravure) of a human skull in profile.
Dimensions
  • Height: 17.5cm
  • Width: 15.3cm
Production typeUnlimited edition
Gallery label
(06 03 2014)
Gallery 100 ‘A History of Photography’, 2014-2015, label text:

Unknown photographer
Skull
About 1880–1900

The female skull in this image was originally used for teaching dentistry. It shows some bone removed to reveal the roots of the teeth. The photograph was printed in black ink by the photogravure process. This high-quality reproductive technique derived from the traditional printmaking process of etching.

Photogravure
Museum no. Ph.957-1902
Production
Attribution note: Used for teaching dentistry
Reason For Production: Retail
Subjects depicted
Summary
This skull seems to float in space and parts have been removed. It was mounted on a wooden panel and prepared for teaching purposes. It shows the right side of an adolescent (or young adult) human female skull. The out-bone of the right side of the maxilla and the corpus mandibulae have been removed to reveal the roots of the teeth and unerupted teeth.

The photograph may be of a skull kept in the Royal College of Surgeons in London, because the mode of preparation is typical of that college. The photograph was printed in black ink by the photogravure process, a high-quality reproductive technique introduced in 1879. This provides an arresting quality. The work has now become more a poetic symbol or image rather than a teaching aid for students of dentistry, thus transcending its original purpose.
Other number
E.1182D-1887 - Previous number
Collection
Accession number
PH.957-1902

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Record createdFebruary 6, 2004
Record URL
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