Now on ScienceBlogs: Fireworks + Gas Works + Seattle = environmental lawsuit [bioephemera]
biology + art
bioephemera is art + biology - anything and everything from representations of science in art and literature to the neuroscience of aesthetics. Along with lots of other stuff that's just plain interesting.
Jessica Palmer is a biologist & artist currently based in Washington, DC. She received her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, spent the last few years teaching at a small state college out West, and is now exploring science policy and communications.
follow me on Twitter
read the first BioE post
visit the old BioE archive
Note: the contents of this blog are the personal opinions of the author, completely independent of any organizations with which she is affiliated.
« Will "forestle" become a verb, too? | Main | Bangladeshi boy with two heads passes away »
Category: Ephemera • Medical Illustration and History • Museum Lust • Wonder Cabinets
Posted on: August 27, 2008 5:03 PM, by Jessica Palmer
Surgical suture sampler, circa 18th cen.
Zurich Medical History Museum
Photo from Ickybitty's photostream
. . . unless your grandma was a trauma surgeon. This antique sampler from the Medical History Museum in Zurich represents a variety of stitch techniques appropriate for different anatomical regions and types of injury. Both the embroidery and the illustrated backing are rendered in remarkable detail:
Find more posts in: 
Medicine & Health
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/79832
12:15 PM, 07.04.2009
10:55 AM, 07.04.2009
9:30 AM, 07.04.2009
8:05 AM, 07.04.2009
6:48 AM, 07.04.2009
Latest science stories | More at nytimes.com
2:24 AM, 07.03.2009
6:21 AM, 07.04.2009
2:50 PM, 06.30.2009
2:26 PM, 06.30.2009
6:31 AM, 07.04.2009
Comments
That is just stunning. I'm cheering Ickybitty for taking the picture so I could see it and cursing him/her for not taking detail shots of everything.
Posted by: Stephanie Z | August 27, 2008 8:37 PM
Wow, that's gorgeous. I've been wanting to make a sampler myself...
Posted by: Annie | August 29, 2008 9:55 PM
Oh my God, this is fantastic! It has the feel of a homey sampler, the texture and multimedia of modern collage, and the faint creepiness of an anatomy textbook. Marvelous stuff.
Posted by: Signout | September 1, 2008 2:59 PM
Ohhh, this is facinating! Love the whole idea ~ looks beautiful but makes you turn away... Great find!
Posted by: Ulla | September 4, 2008 12:30 PM
Stephanie - the original photo on flickr is pretty big - you can probably scroll around on it and see most of what you want. The detail is pretty darn incredible - I have no idea why this treasure isn't more widely known. (I happened upon it totally by chance while researching another post.)
Posted by: Jessica Palmer | September 5, 2008 12:53 PM
I did do some of that, but I'm greedy. I want to see the illustrations better. I do know a FOAF who's headed back to Geneva about now, though. Maybe I can interest her in a short trip with a camera. I'll let you know if that works out.
Posted by: Stephanie Z | September 5, 2008 1:07 PM
Great idea, Stephanie! I was just about to suggest that one of us go to Zurich in person to take more photos. . . I mean, it's for Science, right? (and/or Art). Darn it, I wish I could. . .
Posted by: Jessica Palmer | September 5, 2008 1:23 PM
Yeah, me too. Not this year.
If I have to choose between science and art, I usually pick art. Not that science isn't important. Art just generally has fewer people standing up to say it's important. Something about all the intangibles, I suppose.
Posted by: Stephanie Z | September 5, 2008 4:39 PM