From the beautiful to the grotesque - 'Exquisite Bodies' reveals all

30 July 2009

For the first time in over a century, a new and titillating exhibition launching today in Wellcome Collection unveils wax models from the Victorian period, used to teach, shock and entice audiences at the time.

Revealing a strange and forgotten chapter in medical history, 'Exquisite Bodies' includes objects from collections from across the UK and Europe.

Visitors to the venue on London's Euston Road will be met by such curious exhibits as an unusually lifelike and beautiful anatomical 'Venus' with removable internal organs, a bearded lady in wax and a very graphic series of three-dimensional representations of the ravages of syphilis.

During the 19th century, museums of anatomical models became popular attractions for Europeans seeking an unusual afternoon's entertainment. In London, Paris, Brussels and Barcelona the public could learn about the inner workings of the body through displays that combined serious science with an element of fairground horror.

'Exquisite Bodies' examines what the models tell us about Victorian attitudes towards the body, as well as moral issues surrounding sexual reproduction, contagious diseases and death.

Image: Wax Venus held by the Science Museum. Credit: Wellcome Library, London