Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar (Prof. Scott)
Faculty Advisor: Monique Scott
Field Site: Mutter Museum
Field Supervisor: Lowell Flanders
Fieldwork Description:
For the Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar, I worked as a collections intern at the Mutter Museum. Under the supervision of collections manager Lowell Flanders, I worked mainly with the Hyrtl Skull Collection. I conducted research on the ancestry of the skulls (which I am using for my thesis), as well as photographing each of the skulls as the museum does not yet have these records. Additionally, I assisted the collections manager, curator, and other staff with everything from organization to exhibit maintenance to additional research.
Final Presentation:
The Mutter MuseumPlease click here to access a PDF version of the presentation.
Hi Rebecca,
I love the Mutter Museum! But I’ll admit that I’ve been drawn there because of the opportunity to view the “oddities” as opposed to the more historical exhibits. Your presentation taught me a lot about the historical significance of the Mutter Museum and its role in medical and anthropological education. I also appreciate the importance of recognizing the oppressive and racist history behind some of the exhibits–the unethical means of collecting the specimens, the racist theories some researchers attempted to support with their studies, and the importance of highlighting how many of these assumptions have been scientifically refuted.
It must have been very exciting to be able to handle and photograph the skulls and to consider your own research goals. I’m glad you have the chance to work in such an amazing environment!
–Ellie
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for this eye-opening presentation! It’s been a while since I have visited the Mutter Museum but after learning about your fieldwork, I really want to go back and see the exhibits again with a different mindset. Many of the “oddities” on display are certainly fascinating but your work encourages us to think more critically and deeply about the role of medicine and science in systems of oppression and exploitation. Thank you for that! I was also excited to read that you Praxis fieldwork has been relevant for your thesis research. Overall, this must have been a very rewarding experience, despite the disruption of in-person fieldwork.
Congratulations on this and other accomplishments as well as your upcoming graduation!
Liv
I really enjoyed hearing about your internship during class and the connections you made with your supervisors and co-workers. I think it’s super cool that you were also able to use your internship work for your senior thesis, grounding the anthropological research component in practical contexts as well. It’s been a while since I’ve visited the Mutter and seen the Hyrtl Skull Collection, but from what I remember, I always thought it was weird that visitors could “sponsor” a skull and the sponsor names were displayed on a plaque below the skull. Some of the sponsors were organizations with questionable names and the concept of “sponsoring” human remains just seemed strange to me.
It’s been so cool to see the results of your work at the Mutter, both with your internship and your thesis. I’m really sorry that your work got cut off so early, but I’m glad that you got to get in all the experience you did. I know you miss your skulls, and I hope you get a chance to go back and take a look at them some day. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of your research and thesis! Congrats on graduating too 😉