Sponsored by the Friends of the P.I. Nixon Medical Historical Library, Philip T. Valente, M.D., professor of pathology, will discuss the well-known German scientist and physician Guenther von Hagens, M.D.
When Dr. von Hagens invented the groundbreaking technique of “plastination,” preserving dead bodies and exhibiting them worldwide in his notorious “Body Worlds” installations, he revolutionized the art of anatomic display.
“Body Worlds” - currently on exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science through September 4 - has fascinated millions, but also prompted considerable controversy. Many visitors find his presentation of human corpses, posed in casual, life-like attitudes, a macabre spectacle and disrespectful to human dignity. But, Dr. von Hagens sees himself as a man with a mission, breaking down the taboos surrounding dead bodies in order to further the health education of a vast lay public.
Join Dr. Valente at noon, May 3 in the Howe Conference Room located on the fifth floor of the Briscoe Library. The presentation is free, and coffee, tea and soft drinks will be provided.
For more information, please contact Special Collections Librarian Pennie Borchers
borchers@uthscsa.edu or (210)567-2400.
