Philips’ Popular Manikin: Public Anatomy and Gender Stereotypes around 1900

Around 1800, the audience for anatomical knowledge was small and fairly elite. After the Anatomy Act of 1832 had put an end to the murders committed to procure bodies for dissection, the public image of anatomy became significantly less dreadful. In the following decades, popularizers, exhibitors, and publishers found ever more innovative ways to bring anatomy to a broader public.