Fowler on Memory: or, Phrenology applied to the Cultivation of Memory (1842)

Description: Fowler on Memory: or, Phrenology applied to the Cultivation of Memory (1842) O.S. Fowler. Phrenological Journal Extra. Fowler on Memory: or, Phrenology applied to the Cultivation of Memory; the Intellectual Education of Children, and the Strengthening and expanding of the Intellectual Powers. NY: O.S. & L.N. Fowler, 1842. Second edition enlarged and improved. Pages 96, ca. 5” x 8”. Sewn pages evidently disbound from a volume of the journal referenced. Good vintage condition with wear commensurate with age and use, ex-library blind stamp on corner of front corner with a deaccession stamp on the verso from the Detroit Public Library and on a page within. Scarce early publication by one of the leading practitioners of phrenology. Vanderbilt University has recently written as part of the project Thinking 3D: Visualizing the Brain from the Renaissance to the Present, that “Orson Squire Fowler (1809-1887), along with his brother, Lorenzo Niles Fowler, was one of the leading proponents of the discipline of phrenology. Influenced by the work of German physicians Johann Spurzheim and Franz Joseph Gall, phrenologists theorized that certain personality traits could be traced to specific areas on the surface of the brain, and that by measuring the corresponding area of the skull, an assessment of a person’s personality could be made. Popularized among the middle and working classes in the United States and Europe through books, lecture tours, and public demonstrations, the Fowlers gained a measure of notoriety. Fowler and other phrenologists used these theories to justify racist, ethnic, and anti-Semitic stereotypes, and phrenology’s legitimacy was challenged and discredited. Nonetheless, Fowler considered himself a progressive thinker, as he was also a proponent of abolition, universal women’s suffrage, and child labor laws.” Please reference photos for details, and ask questions before bidding. Item will be shipped by USPS Mail, US buyers only, do not ship internationally. Returns not accepted.

Price: 99 USD

Location: Corning, New York

End Time: 2025-02-07T21:26:34.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.13 USD