Historical anatomies on the web

Historical Anatomies on the Web is a digital project designed to give Internet users access to high quality images from important anatomical atlases in the National Library of Medicine. The project offers selected images from NLM’s atlas collection, not the entire books, with an emphasis on images and not texts. Atlases and images are selected primarily for their historical and artistic significance, with priority placed upon the earliest and/or the best edition of a work in NLM’s possession.

The History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine has a rich collection of illustrated anatomical atlases dating from the 15th to the 20th century. The Historical Anatomies on the Web Project has been designed to broaden access to this collection by providing high-resolution downloadable scans of selected important images from the atlases. Atlases and images have been chosen for their historical and artistic significance by the project’s content coordinator, Michael North. Important images may be omitted if the atlas is damaged or fragile, or if the work is bound in such a way as to impede high quality scanning. A priority has been placed upon scanning the earliest and/or the best edition of a work in Library’s possession. The scans generally omit text.

Each atlas listing is accompanied by a brief historical discussion of the work, its author, the artists, and the illustration technique. A bibliographical description is also included, so that users will know which edition was scanned and if there are any characteristics special to the Library’s copy. Visit the collection. For more in-depth information about the history of anatomy, visit the online exhibition, Dream Anatomy.

For a related article in Spanish, see:

Pedraz, Miguel Vicente. “Body and society in the Libro de la anathomía del hombre by Bernardino Montaña de Monserrate: an anatomist’s political dream“. Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos vol.20  supl.1 Rio de Janeiro Nov. 2013.