Dissection

The anatomical theatre and everything around it, including the body trade that supplied it. Dissection was a punishment appended to execution long before it was a teaching method, and the resurrection men were a real profession.

Part of Medicine

76 moments in this segment.

1. 1543 - Woodcut; instruments for dissection.. Instruments for dissection, after Vesalius' Fabrica 1543, page 235. Dated 1543 in the Commons record. Dissection depended on a supply of bodies, and the law governing that supply shaped who ended up on the table.
2. 1609 - Theatrum anatomicum van Leidse Academie, 1609 Amphitheatrum Anatomicum Luduno Batavorum (titel. Identificatie Titel(s): Theatrum anatomicum van Leidse Academie, 1609. Amphitheatrum Anatomicum Luduno Batavorum (titel op object) Objecttype: prent nieuwsprent Objectnummer: RP-P-1887-A-12041 Catalogusreferentie: FMH 1284-DOpmerking: (toegevoegd nummer RPK) Omschrijving: Theatrum anatomicum, anatomisch theater van de Universiteit van Leiden, 1609. Dated 1609, credited to Rijksmuseum. Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp shows a public anatomy, an event that was ticketed, ceremonial and usually performed on an executed criminal.
3. 1632 - Rembrandt, la lezione di anatomia del dottor tulp, 1632, 00. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 1632, credited to Sailko. Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp shows a public anatomy, an event that was ticketed, ceremonial and usually performed on an executed criminal.
4. 1633 - Bronze plaque near Haagsche Jantje, Lange Vijverberg, The Hague, 19 september 2024 - 03. Bronze plaque near the sculpture of Haagsche Jantje, Lange Vijverberg, The Hague, 19 september 2024 Text Around the Hofvijver stand: The Hague Historical Museum; formerly the Saint Sebastian Militia Headquarters, built in 1636. The building served as accommodation for the civic militia and later as a courthouse. Dated 1633, credited to OlafJanssen. Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp shows a public anatomy, an event that was ticketed, ceremonial and usually performed on an executed criminal.
5. 1662 - Engraving; the domus anatomica at Copenhagen 1662.. The domus anatomica at Copenhagen 1662, containing the theatre anatomicum. Dated 1662 in the Commons record. Anatomy theatres were built as steep rings so that every tier could see the table, and dissections were staged in winter because the cold slowed decay.
6. 1712 - L' Anatomie d' à présent, Objectnr PV PV14711. Titel: "l' Anatomie d' à présent" Collectie: Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken Rechthebbende: Rechtenvrij Auteursrechten: Public Domain. Signatuur: PV_PV14711 Objectnummer: PV_PV14711 Plaatsnaam: Leiden Trefwoord: Universiteiten, Medische faculteit Beschrijving: Theatrum Anatomicum, Amphitheater. Dated 1712, credited to Unknown author Unknown author. Anatomy theatres were built as steep rings so that every tier could see the table, and dissections were staged in winter because the cold slowed decay.
7. 1741 - Male anatomy from "Tabulae Anatomicae". An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 1741 in the Commons record. Public anatomies were civic occasions with tickets, tiers and an audience well beyond the medical.
8. 1765 - Two anatomical oil paintings by d'Agoty, 1765-1765. Painting on left: Two dissected male figures, one seated, the other standing behind, with viscera on the floor in the foreground. Painting on right: A standing dissected man, posterior view, with separate sections of the brain. Dated 1765 in the Commons record. The dissecting room was a seasonal place, worked in winter because the cold bought time.
9. 1800 - Barber-surgeons' Hall, Monkwell Street, London; the rear ele. The image records barber-surgeons' Hall, Monkwell Street, London: the rear elevation of the hall, showing the window of the anatomy theatre. Engraving, 1800. Dated 1800 in the Commons record. Anatomy theatres were built as steep rings so that every tier could see the table, and dissections were staged in winter because the cold slowed decay.
10. 1808 - Tubercular leprosy, dissection of the colon. The image records tubercular leprosy, dissection. From the title "Om spedalskhed... Dated 1808 in the Commons record. Who could be dissected was a question of status long before it was a question of consent.
11. 1834 - Illustrations of a diseased heart, 1834. The image records illustrations of a diseased heart, morbid anatomy. Dated 1834 in the Commons record. The winter anatomy season set the rhythm of medical teaching before refrigeration existed.
12. 1859 - De anatomische les van Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, RP-P-1891-A-16631. Identificatie Titel(s): De anatomische les van Dr. Nicolaes Tulp Objecttype: prent Objectnummer: RP-P-1891-A-16631 Opschriften / Merken: stempel, recto rechtsonder, blinddruk: Stempel van Frans Buffa en Zonen., verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228 Omschrijving: Dokter Tulp toont een groep chirurgijns de buigspieren van de vingers van het lijk dat voor hem op tafel ligt. Dated 1859, credited to Rijksmuseum. Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp shows a public anatomy, an event that was ticketed, ceremonial and usually performed on an executed criminal.
13. 1878 - Reproductie van De anatomische les van Nicolaes Tulp door Johannes Pieter de Frey naar Rembrand. Identificatie Titel(s): Reproductie van De anatomische les van Nicolaes Tulp door Johannes Pieter de Frey naar Rembrandt van Rijn La leçon d'anatomie (titel op object) Objecttype: fotomechanische afdruk bladzijde reproductie Objectnummer: RP-F-2001-7-1692-13 Opschriften / Merken: opschrift, recto, gedrukt: ‘Fascicule 2/ PL. XIII’ Vervaardiging Vervaardiger: vervaardiger: Emile Aubry (vermeld op. Dated 1878, credited to Rijksmuseum. Museums of anatomy grew out of teaching collections, and their catalogues are the best record of what was kept.
14. 1898 - Dissection table, Rush Medical College, 1898. Dissection Table VII, Rush Medical College. Dated 1898, credited to unattributed. Preparation and injection techniques were trade secrets, guarded as closely as any craft process.
15. 1945 - Walter Pagel demonstrating dissection, 1945. The image records walter Pagel demonstrating dissection at Middlesex Hospital. Archives & Manuscripts. Dated 1945 in the Commons record. Access to bodies decided which schools could teach, so anatomy was a question of supply before it was one of skill.
16. 1995 - Theatrum Anatomicum. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 1995, credited to Leo Nurmand. Prints of dissection circulated widely to audiences with no intention of ever entering a dissecting room.
17. 2011 - Tartu anatoomikum. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2011, credited to Kaupo Kütt. Public anatomies were civic occasions with tickets, tiers and an audience well beyond the medical.
18. 2011 - Soleus muscle. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2011, credited to Anatomist90. Who could be dissected was a question of status long before it was a question of consent.
19. 2012 - Slide10a. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. The winter anatomy season set the rhythm of medical teaching before refrigeration existed.
20. 2012 - Slide10ddd. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Museums of anatomy grew out of teaching collections, and their catalogues are the best record of what was kept.
21. 2012 - Slide10gggg. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Preparation and injection techniques were trade secrets, guarded as closely as any craft process.
22. 2012 - Slide13d. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Access to bodies decided which schools could teach, so anatomy was a question of supply before it was one of skill.
23. 2012 - Slide12y. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Prints of dissection circulated widely to audiences with no intention of ever entering a dissecting room.
24. 2012 - Slide11pp. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Dissection depended on a supply of bodies, and the law governing that supply shaped who ended up on the table.
25. 2012 - Slide16fff. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Public anatomies were civic occasions with tickets, tiers and an audience well beyond the medical.
26. 2012 - Slide15gggg. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. The dissecting room was a seasonal place, worked in winter because the cold bought time.
27. 2012 - Slide2d. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Who could be dissected was a question of status long before it was a question of consent.
28. 2012 - Slide22y. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. The winter anatomy season set the rhythm of medical teaching before refrigeration existed This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
29. 2012 - Slide22aaa. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Museums of anatomy grew out of teaching collections, and their catalogues are the best record of what was kept This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
30. 2012 - Slide1ffff. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Preparation and injection techniques were trade secrets, guarded as closely as any craft process This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
31. 2012 - Slide2333. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Access to bodies decided which schools could teach, so anatomy was a question of supply before it was one of skill This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
32. 2012 - Slide2z. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Prints of dissection circulated widely to audiences with no intention of ever entering a dissecting room This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
33. 2012 - Slide2tt. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Dissection depended on a supply of bodies, and the law governing that supply shaped who ended up on the table This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
34. 2012 - Slide2vvvv. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Public anatomies were civic occasions with tickets, tiers and an audience well beyond the medical This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
35. 2012 - Slide3hh. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. The dissecting room was a seasonal place, worked in winter because the cold bought time This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
36. 2012 - Slide4tt. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2012, credited to Anatomist90. Who could be dissected was a question of status long before it was a question of consent This copy is catalogued separately in the 2012 group.
37. 2012 - Darren Rainey Investigative Report Photograph 06. Photograph from Darren Rainey's in-custody death investigative report released by the Miama-Dade state attorney's office. Dated 2012, credited to Miami Dade DA. The winter anatomy season set the rhythm of medical teaching before refrigeration existed.
38. 2013-11-15 - Life in the Balance: Autopsy and Medical Dissection. Jewish Learning Institute examines Life in the Balance: Autopsy and Medical Dissection, published in 2013. This is the law, the corpse and the classroom.
39. 2015-07-21 - GERMANY: DISSECTED HUMAN BODIES EXHIBITION COMES UNDER FIRE. AP Archive traces GERMANY: DISSECTED HUMAN BODIES EXHIBITION COMES UNDER FIRE, published in 2015. Its place in the archive is dissection as regulated practice.
40. 2015-12-03 - Bodies Wanted—Anatomy and the Dissection Debate. DittrickMuseum traces Bodies Wanted, Anatomy and the Dissection Debate, published in 2015. Its place in the archive is what the teaching room required and how it was met.
41. 2016 - Naja melanoleuca head dissection A- fang B - venom gland. Dissected head of a dead forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca). Only the skinwas removed to make muscles, the eye and most importantly (A) the fangs and (B) the venom gland visible. Dated 2016, credited to Stefan3345. Museums of anatomy grew out of teaching collections, and their catalogues are the best record of what was kept.
42. 2017-05-01 - Body donation overview. Kari the Mortician records Body donation overview, published in 2017. Filed as the practice that supplied the printed plate.
43. 2017-05-20 - Anatomical History (Dissection). Cerebral Publication Private Limited sets out Anatomical History (Dissection), published in 2017. It belongs here as the teaching amphitheatre as a working space.
44. 2017 - Human heart male adult autopsy. A human heart, male, adult. From an autopsy. Dated 2017, credited to Jebulon. Preparation and injection techniques were trade secrets, guarded as closely as any craft process.
45. 2017-10-13 - Body Donation: Mayo Clinic Radio. Mayo Clinic sets out Body Donation: Mayo Clinic Radio, published in 2017. Carried for the teaching amphitheatre as a working space.
46. 2018-10-09 - The Burke and Hare Murders. Simple History records The Burke and Hare Murders, published in 2018. Held for the practice that supplied the printed plate.
47. 2019-02-12 - Anatomical dissection in Denmark from the perspectives of body donors and medical students. HMS: Global Health and Social Medicine records Anatomical dissection in Denmark from the perspectives of body donors and medical students, published in 2019. Included as the practice that supplied the printed plate.
48. 2019 - Teatro Anatomico. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2019, credited to Lanoyta. Access to bodies decided which schools could teach, so anatomy was a question of supply before it was one of skill.
49. 2021-02-05 - BURKE and HARE - Edinburgh's most notorious KILLERS. Scotland Unplugged traces BURKE and HARE - Edinburgh's most notorious KILLERS, published in 2021. This is what the teaching room required and how it was met.
50. 2021-05-13 - Anatomical Donations Program: Is it necessary to include a body donation in the donor's will?. Michigan Medicine covers Anatomical Donations Program: Is it necessary to include a body donation in the donor's will?, published in 2021. The record it provides is the body as a supplied material.
51. 2021-05-13 - Anatomical Donations Program: Are there costs associated with a body donation?. Michigan Medicine surveys Anatomical Donations Program: Are there costs associated with a body donation?, published in 2021. Included as dissection as regulated practice.
52. 2021-06-11 - The Murderous Body Snatchers | Burke and Hare. History Profiles examines The Murderous Body Snatchers, published in 2021. Kept as the law, the corpse and the classroom.
53. 2021 - Smrt člověka. Illustrative photo shows the death of a man. Dated 2021, credited to Marek Hnila. Prints of dissection circulated widely to audiences with no intention of ever entering a dissecting room.
54. 2021-06-16 - MORTSAFE - Protecting a Child's Grave from Ghouls.. Faces of the Forgotten surveys MORTSAFE - Protecting a Child's Grave from Ghouls, published in 2021. The value here is dissection as regulated practice.
55. 2021-07-08 - History of Medicine - Anatomical Dissection and the History of Anatomy. RCSI BAHRAIN presents History of Medicine - Anatomical Dissection and the History of Anatomy, published in 2021. Filed as how bodies reached the dissection table, and under what law.
56. 2021-07-20 - Serial Killer Documentary: The Body Snatchers. Serial Killers Documentaries documents Serial Killer Documentary: The Body Snatchers, published in 2021. The record it provides is the anatomy room and the trade that filled it.
57. 2022-05-18 - Dissecting the Past: Doctors, Donors and Assembling a Collection. WashU Medicine Becker Library traces Dissecting the Past: Doctors, Donors and Assembling a Collection, published in 2022. Kept as what the teaching room required and how it was met.
58. 2022 - Measurements of Unio sp. The image records measurements of Unio sp. in Konnevesi Research Station, Finland (University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biological and Environmental Science). Dated 2022, credited to Dijana Blazekovic. Dissection depended on a supply of bodies, and the law governing that supply shaped who ended up on the table, as in this 2022 example.
59. 2022-10-06 - We found a mortsafe!. SERENITY SUE records We found a mortsafe!, published in 2022. Carried for the practice that supplied the printed plate.
60. 2022-11-29 - Body donation - informational video. Brighton and Sussex Medical School traces Body donation - informational video, published in 2022. Its place in the archive is the body as a supplied material.
61. 2023-02-24 - Dissecting the Medieval Bed (and making one *mostly* from scratch!). Morgan Donner records Dissecting the Medieval Bed (and making one *mostly* from scratch!), published in 2023. It belongs here as the practice that supplied the printed plate.
62. 2023-03-03 - Sourcing Dead Bodies For Medical Dissection Before It Was Legal. J.R. Shaw records Sourcing Dead Bodies For Medical Dissection Before It Was Legal, published in 2023. This is the practice that supplied the printed plate.
63. 2023-10-31 - Burke & Hare: The Chilling Story of Edinburgh’s Serial Killers and the Resurrectionist Trade. History & Hearsay traces Burke & Hare: The Chilling Story of Edinburgh’s Serial Killers and the Resurrectionist Trade, published in 2023. Carried for what the teaching room required and how it was met.
64. 2024-04-28 - Resurrectionists: The Body Snatchers that Built Modern Medicine. Kaz Rowe surveys Resurrectionists: The Body Snatchers that Built Modern Medicine, published in 2024. This is dissection as regulated practice.
65. 2024 - Dissection du criquet. An object held in the dissection material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2024, credited to Alpha glucagon. Dissection depended on a supply of bodies, and the law governing that supply shaped who ended up on the table, as in this 2024 example.
66. 2025-02-04 - Dissection Room – Body Donation Programme. University of Leicester records Dissection Room – Body Donation Programme, published in 2025. What it offers is the practice that supplied the printed plate.
67. 2025-02-09 - Edinburgh 🪦 Historic True Crime 💀 Burke and Hare walking trail - Dead but not buried. The Wanderlust Way records Edinburgh 🪦 Historic True Crime 💀 Burke and Hare walking trail - Dead but not buried, published in 2025. Held for the anatomy room and the trade that filled it.
68. 2025-06-09 - Selling Bodies For Dissection: The Killings Of Burke & Hare. History Hit covers Selling Bodies For Dissection: The Killings Of Burke & Hare, published in 2025. Its place in the archive is the practice that supplied the printed plate.
69. 2025-10-03 - Anatomy of Fear: America's Grim Era of Body Snatching. Historical USA sets out Anatomy of Fear: America's Grim Era of Body Snatching, published in 2025. What it offers is the teaching amphitheatre as a working space.
70. 2025-10-27 - 1st Year MBBS Anatomy | Inside the Dissection Hall 💀 | Dr Pradeep Sir & Dr Rajesh Sir | PW MedEd. PW MedEd traces 1st Year MBBS Anatomy, published in 2025. The record it provides is what the teaching room required and how it was met.
71. 2026-01-09 - When Grave Robbers Began Killing for Bodies - Britain’s Resurrection Men. THE DARKEST ARCHIVES examines When Grave Robbers Began Killing for Bodies - Britain’s Resurrection Men, published in 2026. It sits in the archive as the law, the corpse and the classroom.
72. 2026-01-21 - The Body Snatchers | Anatomy’s Dark History & Grave Robbers. Medicine & Meaning examines The Body Snatchers, published in 2026. The Anatomy Act of 1832 followed the body trade that supplied Britain's dissection rooms, and the Burke and Hare murders in Edinburgh. Included as the law, the corpse and the classroom.
73. 2026-03-04 - The grim history of body snatching.. nist33 records The grim history of body snatching, published in 2026. Filed as the anatomy room and the trade that filled it.
74. 2026-04-14 - The Chilling Case of Burke and Hare Who Sold 16 Bodies to a Surgeon 1828. The Crimson Files 3.0 traces The Chilling Case of Burke and Hare Who Sold 16 Bodies to a Surgeon 1828, on material dated 1828. It sits in the archive as what the teaching room required and how it was met.
75. 2026-05-27 - Burke & Hare's Serial Killing Dissection Business. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal surveys Burke & Hare's Serial Killing Dissection Business, published in 2026. The value here is the practice that supplied the printed plate.
76. 2026-07-21 - The Dark Way Medical Schools Sourced Their Cadavers. Morbid Medicine presents The Dark Way Medical Schools Sourced Their Cadavers, published in 2026. This is how bodies reached the dissection table, and under what law.