Mutter Museum: Of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous.
Review: Gretchen Worden, The Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Blast, 2002)

Gretchen Worden has been the director of the Mutter Museum for over twenty years now. One of the best things that's happened under her rule has been the institution of the Mutter Museum Calendar in 1994. Since then (and in rare cases before), photographers and fine artists have been coming to the school in record numbers. Here, Worden collects the best of their works, along with a couple of light introductory essays, into a collection of great beauty, but always with a hint of revulsion to it.

There are certainly some surprises; one expects to find, say, Joel-Peter Witkin's work here, but not that of William Wegman (the weimaraner guy). Most of the photographs here are simple pictures of things that reside in the museum, but some arrange them interestingly, or come up with some weird, Witkin-esque setting, turning the pictures into true fascinating grotesqueries.

Must be seen to be believed (Weimeraners as Chang and Eng? Brilliant!). ****

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a showcase for these wonderful images
Review: I have long been a fan and frequent visitor to the Mutter Museum, and the items in it's collection have served and continue to serve as inspiration for my work. Ms. Worden has been most generous in allowing me access to some of the 'behind the scenes' items I am delighted to find included in this book.

Anyone who has come across one of the famous Mutter Museum calendars will be familiar with the beautiful photographs from the likes of Rosamond Purcell, Joel-Peter Witkin, Max Aquilera-Hellweg, etc. -- and if not, this is the ideal opportunity to experience them. However, for me it is the archival photos from the bowels (ahem!) of the Mutter's storage rooms that are the real treasures here -- many of which have never been published before. In spite of their generally more clinical nature, these photographs of patients and odd medical conditions often acheive a level of artistry equal to the efforts of the featured contemporary photographers.

The images are complemented by an engaging preface and essay by Ms. Worden, discussing not only the reasons why artists are drawn to the Mutter's collections, but also how these 'pathological treasures' came together under the roof of the College of Physicians.

If this book has a fault, it is that there isn't more of it! I am greatly looking forward to future volumes in what I hope will become long series.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a showcase for these wonderful images
Review: I have long been a fan and frequent visitor to the Mutter Museum, and the items in it's collection have served and continue to serve as inspiration for my work. The late Gretchen Worden was most generous in allowing me access to some of the 'behind the scenes' items I am delighted to find included in this book.

Anyone who has come across one of the famous Mutter Museum calendars will be familiar with the beautiful photographs from the likes of Rosamond Purcell, Joel-Peter Witkin, Max Aquilera-Hellweg, etc. -- and if not, this is the ideal opportunity to experience them. However, for me it is the archival photos from the bowels (ahem!) of the Mutter's storage rooms that are the real treasures here -- many of which have never been published before. In spite of their generally more clinical nature, these photographs of patients and odd medical conditions often acheive a level of artistry equal to the efforts of the featured contemporary photographers.

The images are complemented by an engaging preface and essay by Ms. Worden, discussing not only the reasons why artists are drawn to the Mutter's collections, but also how these 'pathological treasures' came together under the roof of the College of Physicians.

If this book has a fault, it is that there isn't more of it! Although Ms. Worden is no longer with us, I hope that someone else will step up to create future volumes in what I hope will become long series. There is certainly ample material in the Mutter collection yet to explore.