Tag Archives: human remains

Magical Membranes: Born in the Caul

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Dr. Gemma Angel

A lass if born in June with a caul Will wed, hev bairns & rear ’em all. But a lass if born with a caul in July, Will loose her caul & young will die. Every month beside luck comes … Continue reading →

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From the Storage Archives: “Mort Aux Vaches!”

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Dr. Gemma Angel

Science Museum Object Number A544: Preserved human skin, tattooed with a series of patterned dots and crosses; initials and lettering in French; two hearts, including one pierced by arrows; and the head and torso of a man. Dimensions: h353mm x … Continue reading →

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From the Storage Archives: The Wounded Tattoo

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Dr. Gemma Angel

Science Museum Object Number A544: Preserved human skin, tattooed with a series of patterned dots and crosses; initials and lettering in French; two hearts, including one pierced by arrows; and the head and torso of a man. Dimensions: A544 h353 … Continue reading →

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From the Storage Archives: The Unseen Sailors’ Tattoo

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Dr. Gemma Angel

Science Museum Object Number A747 & A754: Preserved human skins, tattooed with a pair of eyes. Dimensions: A747 h137 x w88mm x d1.5mm; A754 h144mm x w86mm x d2mm* *Depth measurements are given at their thickest points. Date: c.1830-1900 Of … Continue reading →

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From the Storage Archives: A Dagger Through the Heart

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Dr. Gemma Angel

Science Museum Object Number A670: Preserved human skin, showing the tattooed image of a dagger piercing the skin of the chest. Dimensions: h258mm x w123mm x d0.4mm Date: c.1850-1920 The image above shows an example of the iconic dagger-through-the-heart tattoo. … Continue reading →

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The Flesh Remembers: Memento Mori Tattoos

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Dr. Gemma Angel

All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s (or thing’s) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt. – Susan Sontag The … Continue reading →

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Texture, Tactility & Tattoos

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Dr. Gemma Angel

In 1786, German traveller Sophie de la Roche paid a visit to the British Museum. She later wrote about her experiences there, describing the various things that she saw, including a collection of Roman antiquities. What is particularly striking about … Continue reading →

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