Summary

Creator:

Furneaux, William S., History of Medicine Collection (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library), J. Lizars (Firm : Glasgow, Scotland), and York & Son (Firm : London, England)

Abstract:

Collection is made up of three commercial sets of instructional black-and-white glass lantern slides (3 1/4 by 3 1/4 inches) that accompanied lectures on human anatomy for general audiences. They were produced sometime between 1888 and 1900. The first set (17 slides of about 50 in the original set) is titled "Human physiology, popularly explained," and illustrates aspects of the neurological, cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal systems. The second series (18 slides of about 40) has as its title "The heart and its action." The third set (3 slides) offers microscopic views of liver and bone cells, and tooth structure. The images in the first set are based on illustrations by English author, scientist, and teacher William S. Furneaux. The sets were produced by York & Son, London, and distributed by a Glasgow optician, J. Lizars. Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collections at Duke University.

Extent:

1 Linear Foot
2 boxes
38 slides; one wooden storage box (empty)
3 1/4 x 3 14/ inches
38 slides; one wooden storage box

Language:

Materials are in English.

Collection ID:

RL.11585

Background

Scope and Content:

Collection is made up of three commercial sets of black-and-white glass lantern slides that accompanied lectures on human anatomy for general audiences. They were produced sometime between 1888 and 1900. The slides measure 3 1/4 by 3 1/4 inches (83x83 mm), and the glass plates are bound with black paper. Most of the slides have titles printed along the edges of the paper mounts.

The first set (17 slides out of about 50 in the original set) is titled Human physiology popularly explained, and illustrates aspects of neurological, cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal systems. Among the slides of the thorax and its organs is an image showing the effects of the "tight lacing" on women's corsets. As indicated on the title slide, the detailed images in the set are based on illustrations by English author, teacher, and naturalist William S. Furneaux.

The second set (18 slides of about 40) has as its title The heart and its action, and illustrates all aspects of the cardiovascular system, including pulmonary and neurological anatomy. The illustrator is unknown.

The third set (3 slides) offers microscopic cross-sections of the human liver, bone, and tooth. The slides are part of a set called Microscopic gems: from the three kingdoms of nature.

All three lecture sets were produced in the late 19th century and perhaps into the first years of the 20th century by the firm York & Son, as evidenced by the presence on each slide of the London firm's "snake" trademark on a paper label.

These lecture sets were distributed widely by a number of optical and photographic firms. Two sets in this collection were sold through a Glasgow optician, J. Lizars, whose trademark label also appears on most of the slides in the first and third sets.

Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collections at Duke University.

Biographical / Historical:

The original manufacturer of the glass lantern slides in this collection was York & Son, one of the most prolific photographic publishing firms of the late 19th century, established in London around 1870 by Frederick York. A very large inventory of York & Son slide sets are found listed, often with digitized slide images of each slide, on the Lucerna Magic Lantern website.

Around 1912 the company was dissolved and its stock taken over by Newton and Co., also of London, which continued to use the York & Son trademark for many decades.

The identified distributor of two of the series in this collection, J. Lizars, was established in Glasgow by optician John Lizars in 1830. After Lizar's death in 1879, the company established branches in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 1890s, it listed photographic apparatuses among its stock in addition to magic lanterns and lantern slides. Merging with Black's optometrists in 1999, the company is still in operation in 2018 as Black & Lizars Optometrists.

Acquisition Information:

The York Son human anatomy and physiology glass lantern slides were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2017.

Processing information:

Processed and encoded by Paula Jeannet, February 2018.

Accession(s) represented in this collection: 2018-0006.

Arrangement:

Arranged in three series, each corresponding to a set of commercially published lantern slides: Human physiology popularly explained; The heart and its action; Microscopic gems: from the three kingdoms of Nature.

Rules or Conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.

Subjects:

Human anatomy -- Charts, diagrams, etc.
Human anatomy -- Pictorial works
Human anatomy -- Popular works
Human anatomy -- Slides
Human anatomy -- Study and teaching
Human body -- Pictorial works
Human physiology -- Pictorial works
Medical sciences -- Popular works
Medical science -- Slides

Formats:

Lantern slides
Scientific illustrations (images)

Names:

History of Medicine Collection (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)
J. Lizars (Firm : Glasgow, Scotland)

Places:

Glasgow (Scotland)
London (England)