Walter Potter Film Premiere! Morbid Anatomy Museum "Art of Mourning" Exhibition Preview Party! Dime Museum Walking Tour! This Week and Beyond at Morbid Anatomy

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"Walter Potter: The Man Who Married Kittens" : World Premiere Screening and Q and A with Morbid Anatomy Museum Filmmaker in Residence Ronni Thomas
Date: THIS FRIDAY, June 6
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $10 (Tickets here)
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue)

Tonight, please join us to celebrate Morbid Anatomy's 7th birthday with the world premiere of the Morbid Anatomy Museum's first foray into film with a special screening of filmmaker in residence Ronni Thomas'"Walter Potter: The Man Who Married Kittens." This surprisingly tender and heartfelt film features never before seen footage of the great tableaux of eccentric Victorian anthropomorphic taxidermist Walter Potter and the collectors around the world who treasure them. You will meet in the course of this film tiny kittens in gowns attending a wedding or having a tea party; toads playing on swings; monkeys riding goats; the funeral of a robin; a two faced kitten; and much, much more. Thomas will also screen assorted other short films and answer your questions about the making of the film.

More here.
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Anatomical Venuses, Dime Museums, and Waterfront Dives: A Walking Tour from Barnum to the Bowery
Date: THIS SATURDAY, June 7
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
*** Must pre-order tickets here
Meeting Point: City Hall Park, by the fountain (precise end point TBD)

19th century New York City was a town of varied amusements, from P.T. Barnum’s American Museum to popular anatomical museums to waterfront dives offering such attractions as rat fighting. This 90-minute walking tour will introduce you to a few of these long-vanished diversions, from the dime museums of lower Broadway to the notorious dance halls of the old Five Points to the low-down dives of the Bowery.

More here.
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Two Headed/Anthropomorphic Rat Taxidermy with Divya Anantharaman
Date: THIS SUNDAY, June 8th
Time: 12 – 6 PM
Offsite*** Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave, Corner of 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Admission: $200
*** Purchase tickets by clicking here.

From Victorian curiosity cabinets to Coney Island sideshows, gaff making has held it's place in history, and our hearts. This class will teach students of all levels everything they need to know about proper small mammal taxidermy technique and the details that make a gaff truly convincing--or comical! Students are encouraged to get creative. Having been commissioned to work on natural oddities (like two faced or 'Janus' kittens) and supernatural freaks (conjoined chicken gaff), the instructor will draw upon her experience to help students create memorable mounts.

More here.

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Humankind First, Brutes After: Charles Willson Peale, His Museum, and Collecting and Categorizing Nature in the Early US
Illustrated lecture and book signing with author Nathaniel Popkin
Date: Tuesday, June 10
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8
Buy tickets here
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue)
*** Copies of Lion and Leopard will be available for sale and signing

Artist, inventor and naturalist Charles Willson Peale is best remembered today as the founder of the first American museum. His Philadelphia Museum--opened in the 1780s--displayed side by side his own paintings and taxidermy, the first displayed skeleton of an American mastodon, and other assorted curiosities arranged according to the principles of Linnaean taxonomy. Blurring our contemporary boundaries between art and science, Peale's museum can be seen as a kind of missing link between the Cabinets of Curiosities of old and today's museums.

More here.
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A Night of Animal Madness with Jon Ronson and Laurel Braitman, Presented by The Morbid Anatomy Museum at The Bell House
Date: Wednesday, June 11
Time: 8:00 PM (Doors 7:30)
Admission: FREE!! (More here)
*** Offsite at The Bell House (149 7th Street, Brooklyn NY 11215; Map here)
***Copies of Animal Madness will be available for sale and signing

Tonight we hope you'll join us for an evening celebrating animal minds on the fringe--both human and non--as explored in the new book Animal Madness: How anxious dogs, compulsive parrots and elephants in recovery help us understand ourselvesby writer and historian of science Laurel Braitman. The book is a tale of insanity in the animal kingdom and the ways in which creatures like compulsively-masturbating orangutans or wombats on anti-psychotic drugs have helped humans make sense of our own wild minds, and how to heal them. Laurel Braitman will read selections from her book touching on such topics as bonobos with human psychiatrists, the story of "Animal Pharm," and killer elephants who are rehabilitated back into society after "psychotic breaks." Journalist, humorist and documentary maker Jon Ronson will tell stories from his book The Psychopath Test and give a sneak preview into his work-in-progress book on the topic of public shaming; there will be short films on the topic by Oddball Cinema; phrenology readings by author Colin Dickey, music, drinks, and more. Copies of Animal Madness will be available for sale and signing along with Jon’s books.

More here.
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Possession and Prophets: Illustrated lecture with Ava Forte Vitali, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Illustrated lecture with Ava Forte Vitali, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Date: Thursday, June 12
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8
Buy tickets here
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue)
Part of the Death and The Occult in the Ancient World Series

On the ancient Mediterranean, the words and wishes of the gods were handed down through a number of different conduits – some human and some not. What were the vehicles for prophecy and how were they interpreted in Ancient Egyptian society? From omens to offerings to the ancient equivalent of ‘phone a friend,’ the manner in which the living communicated with their deities varied, across economic levels and with the development of time. We often see instances of both godly and demonic possession, and will discuss the different vehicles through which the gods could speak, including statues, smells, wind, light, and humans and animals, briefly expanding our dialogue to include neighboring Greece and Roman.

More here.
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Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Workshop with Former AMNH Senior Insect Preparator Daisy Tainton
Date: Saturday, June 14
Time: 1 – 4 PM
Admission: $75
***Must buy ticket here
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy
***Offsite*** Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave
Corner of 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Today, join former AMNH Senior Insect Preparator Daisy Tainton for Morbid Anatomy’s popular Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Workshop.
Rhinoceros beetles: nature’s tiny giants. Adorable, with their giant heads and tiny legs, and wonderful antler-like protrusions. If you think they would be even more adorable drinking tiny beers and holding tiny fishing poles, we have the perfect class for you! In today’s workshop, students will learn to make–and leave with their own!–shadowbox dioramas featuring carefully positioned beetles doing nearly anything you can imagine.
Xylotrupes gideon beetles will be available, one per student. They measure about 3″ tall when standing vertically.

More here.
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Popular Anatomy on The Bowery: The Rise and Fall of a Forgotten American Institution
Illustrated lecture with author Alice Sparberg Alexiou
Date: Tuesday, June 17
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8 (Tickets here)
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue)

Once upon a time, when "The Bowery" was synonymous with anything low-life, it was filled with “anatomical museums.” These were a combination of freak shows, live animals, and jars of dead babies in formaldehyde. Sometimes these “museums” also featured live performances. These places were also known for scamming their customers. The possibility of danger enhanced the pleasure to be derived from a night out on the Bowery, which by the time of the Civil War was growing ever more notorious for its wicked ways. Anatomical museums made great targets for irate ministers and others among the ranks of an obstreperous anti-vice crusade that was then growing in tandem with the temperance movement. In 1873 the hysterically puritanical and savvy politician Anthony Comstock established his New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, and even pushed a law to that effect through Congress. The Bowery was one of his favorite targets, and in 1888, Comstock participated in a raid there that resulted in the shutting down of three of the Bowery's most notorious anatomical museums.

More here.

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Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with London Taxidermist Margot Magpie
Date: Wednesday June 18th
Time: 8-11pm
Admission: $100 (Tickets here)
This class is part of the Morbid Anatomy Art Academy
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424 A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue), 11215 Brooklyn, NY
Subway: 4th Av – 9th Street (R – F – G)

Margot Magpie, leading taxidermy artist from London, takes you through the step-by-step process of mouse taxidermy: from ethically sourcing your rodents, to preservation, stuffing, and positioning. By the end, you'll have a happy little mouse, a quirky talking point for your living room and a new experience to tell your friends about. Her work has been worn by the likes of the Chirurgeon's Apprentice, Lindsey Fitzharris, and musician Amanda Palmer, and has appeared on tour with Lana Del Rey, and at the Science Museum London. She blogs about her thoughts and experiences for the Huffpost UK and on  ofcorpsetaxidermy.wordpress.com

More here.

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Beyond Voyeurism: An Ethology of the Peep Show ArcadeAn illustrated lecture with Amy Herzog, Queens CollegeDate: Friday, June 20 (Tickets here)
Time: 8 pm
Admission: $8
Location: The Morbid Anatomy Museum, 424 A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue), 11215 Brooklyn, NY

This latest installment of Amy Herzog's ongoing research into the history of Times Square centers on the apparatus of the peep show arcade as a cinematic and social phenomenon. The midcentury peep booth, constructed from outmoded film devices, serves as a curious interface: it places the filmed bodies it displays, as well as the bodies of its users, within a complex architecture of automation, exchange, performance, and refusal. This illustrated talk will rethink the act of public peeping as an embodied social practice.

More here.

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Phantom Creep Cinema: Vintage Horror Films, Cartoons, Popcorn and Nonsense with Mighty Moloch, Isadora Spivey, Ek the Ghoul, and more
Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 3-7 pm
Admission: $5 (Tickets here)

Many years ago, a vault sealed with forgotten film fragments was paved over and lost to time. PHANTOM CREEP CINEMA has unearthed languishing lore of motion picture history! Join the Mighty Moloch, Isadora Spivey, Ek the Ghoul, and more, for an afternoon of nonsense including hours and hours of digest-length horror, sci-fi, comedy, and cartoons, all projected from super8, 8mm and 16mm prints! Plus, free popcorn! Not for the weak of heart!

More here.

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Death and Eroticism: The Darker Side of Desire
Illustrated Lecture by Romany Reagan, PhD Candidate, Royal Holloway, University of London
Date: Wednesday, June 25
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8 (tickets here)
*** Offsite at the Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave (Corner of 7th St), Brooklyn, NY 11215

From medieval Death and the Maiden imagery to the modern cemetery as an after-hours sex den, the link between sexual arousal and death has been a long-noted aspect of the human sex drive. Far from being relegated to the outer fringes of necrosadism, the sexual thrill of flirting with death and danger has been explored and analyzed from political, psychological and medical angles. The very act of confronting death sends up a primal drive to reassert life in the form of virile sexual expression. This impulse is commonly thought to manifest exclusively in the psychopathy of deviants, but sexual arousal in response to death imagery and near death experiences is actually an impulse based on affirmation of life rather than a desire for death. This talk will explore this darker side of desire through the works of Foucault, Berscheid & Walster, Bataille, the Victorian post-execution autopsies of Dr Croker King and personal research in Abney Park Cemetery.

More here
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An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of SeaweedAn Illustrated lecture and book signing with Josie Iselin
Date: Thursday, June 26
Time: 8 PM
Admission: $5 (Tickets here)
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424 A 3rd Avenue ( Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue ), 11215 Brooklyn, NY (Subway: 4th Av - 9th Street : R - F - G)

Seaweeds are some of the most ecologically important organisms on earth and few people know how stunningly beautiful and varied they are. Spectacular images of select species from both the West and East Coasts will accompany a presentation including easy to understand science of seaweed. Josie will discuss her evolution as a bookmaker as well as how she produced the unique view of marine algae found in her newest book, An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of Seaweed (Abrams, March 2014). Her book will be available for sale and signing after the talk.

More here.
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"Art of Mourning" Exhibition Preview Party
Art of Mourning exhibition preview party with hors d'oeuvres, drinks, music and curator and collector talks
Date: Friday, June 27
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $50 (tickets here)
*** Offsite at the Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave (Corner of 7th St), Brooklyn, NY 11215

Please join us for a special preview party to celebrate The Morbid Anatomy Museum's inaugural exhibition "The Art of Mourning." Featuring never before exhibited pieces from the astounding private collections of Stanley D. Burns (author of Sleeping Beauty), Evan Michelson and Mike Zohn (of Obscura Antiques and TV's Oddities), Karen Bachmann, Jennifer Butkevich, Tracy Hurley Martin and more, this exhibition will showcase decorative arts relating to mourning culture from the 18th to the 20th century. Pieces will include post-mortem photography; hair art shadowboxes and jewelry; coffin plates; memorial cards; mourning paraphernalia; death masks; and spirit photography. Curators Joanna Ebenstein and Evan Michelson and many collectors will be on hand to show their pieces and answer your questions. Hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served and thematic music will be played.

Image: Hand colored mourning photograph from the collection of Stanley D. Burns, The Burns Archive.

More here.

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Morbid Anatomy Summer Flea Market
Date: Sunday, June 29th
Time: 12pm to 7pm
Admission: FREE
Location: The Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue), 11215 Brooklyn, NY
Want to sell your wares? Contact laetitia [at] morbidanatomymuseum.org

Do you love Morbid Anatomy's annual Holiday Fair? If so, you won't want to miss our first Summer Market on Sunday June 29th at the new Morbid Anatomy Museum! Antique hunters and curiosity collectors know than nothing is better than a lazy Sunday spent at a great flea market; at this one, you'll find all of your favorite artists, makers and antique peddlers, including Ryan Matthew Cohn (of Science Channel's "Oddities") with his osteology and antiquities; Daisy Tainton with her insect shadowboxes and mourning rings; Amber Jolliffe Maykut with her taxidermy curiosities; Elizabeth New and her abject housewares; Karen Bachmann and her hair art; and much more, all accompanied by the exotic tunes of Morbid Anatomy DJ in Residence Friese Undine!

More here.

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Victorian Cult of the Dead: Mourning Practices, Garden Cemeteries and the Invention of the Murder Celebrity
Illustrated Lecture by Romany Reagan, PhD Candidate, Royal Holloway, University of London
Date:  Monday, June 30
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8 (tickets here)
*** Offsite at the Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave (Corner of 7th St), Brooklyn, NY 11215

Victorian mourning practices are famous for their lavish beauty: elaborate mourning costumes, plumed horses drawing luxurious funerary carriages, and lush garden cemeteries. These collective practices have been referred to as the 'Victorian Cult of the Dead,' but it could be argued that what seems to be an obsession with death has more to do with a lack of visible death practices in our own culture. Through analyzing the works of historians James Stevens Curl, Catherine Arnold and Judith Flanders, this talk will explore the ways in which the Victorians honored their dead through ritual and beauty -- and how an intimacy with death coupled with the modern newspaper led to the invention of the murder celebrity.

More here.

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The Dead Alive: The Victorian Fear of Premature BurialIllustrated Lecture by Megan Rosenbloom, Medical Librarian at the University of Southern California
Date: Tuesday, July 1
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8 (tickets here)
*** Offsite at the Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave (Corner of 7th St), Brooklyn, NY 11215

Megan Rosenbloom, medical librarian at the University of Southern California, takes you on an exploration of the Victorian obsession with premature burial based on books from the era, and how those lurid books inspired fiction works by the likes of Edgar Allan Poe. Megan will delve into some of the purported tales of live burial, the entrepreneurs who made safety coffins, the societies formed to protect against this primal fear, and the ways this fear trickles down into our modern culture.

More here.

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Snake Skeleton Articulation with Evolution Store Skeleton Preparator Amanda Lee
Date: Saturday, July 5th
Time: 12pm to 6pm
Admission: $200 (tickets here) Presented by Morbid Anatomy

Science and art merge beautifully in the age old practice of skeletal preparation and articulation. Assembling skeletons serves as a way to acquaint oneself more intimately with faunal and human anatomy, in addition to acting as a means by which to create wondrous art pieces.
In this class, students will learn about the techniques and tricks of processing and articulating skeletons—including bone defleshing methods, chemical cleaning, and an overview of skeletal anatomy as it pertains to articulation—while posing and framing a specimen of their very own. Students are encouraged to get creative with posing their skeletons and are involved in every step of the creation of the piece; from posing to closing of the frame. All of the necessary materials to create a framed snake will be provided, including one snake skeleton, a double glass frame, glue, and tools.

More here.

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Butterfly Preservation Workshop with Taxidermist in Residence Divya Anantharaman
Date: Sunday, July 6
Time:  12pm - 3pm
Offsite*** ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave, Corner of 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Price: $90
*** Purchase tickets by clicking here.
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

In this beginners class, students will learn everything about basic butterfly preparation. We will discuss harvesting and drying specimen, rehydrating dried specimen, and in class we will practice handling techniques, spreading, mounting, the nuances of posing, display, and maintenance. An assortment of ethically sourced butterflies in various sizes, shapes, and colors will be provided. Students will learn how to put together and maintain their own rehydration chamber, things to check for during all stages of the process to ensure a clean and successful end product, and tips for gentle handling. Students will also build their very own spreading boards for use in class and beyond. We will also cover how to select museum quality materials for displays. Display cases for finished butterflies will be provided.

More here.

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Morbid Curiosity: A Morbid Anatomy Meet-Up Night
Hosted by Daisy Tainton
Date: Monday, July 7th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $15 (includes one free adult beverage)
Purchase tickets here
*** Offsite at the Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave (Corner of 7th St), Brooklyn, NY 11215

If you have felt left out, now is your chance to come and meet your new besties for some esoteric parlour games and casual conversation at the new Morbid Anatomy Museum.No age maximum, all above 21 are welcome. Your ticket comes with one free adult beverage to get the ball rolling, sponsored by Dionysus. Your fearless party hostess, Daisy Tainton, will be on hand to make introductions and coax your inner hermit crab out of its shell.

More here.

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The Skeleton Crew: Forensic Science and the Identification of the Unnamed Dead
Illustrated lecture and book party with MIT's Deborah Halber and retired NYPD detective sergeant John Paolucci
Date: Tuesday, July 8
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8
Buy tickets here
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue)
***Copies of Skeleton Crew will be available for sale and signing


Please join author Deborah Halber and retired NYPD detective sergeant John Paolucci for an evening exploring what happens when human remains—victims of homicides, suicides and accidents--cannot be identified. The talk, book signing and wine-and-cheese reception mark the release of Deborah Halber’s narrative nonfiction book, The Skeleton Crew: How Amateur Sleuths Are Solving America’s Coldest Cases.

More here.
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Frederik Ruysch Wet Specimen Workshop
Date: Sunday, July 13th
Time: 1:00 PM - 6 PM
Admission $100 (Limited to 8 students)
Purchase tickets here
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
*** Offsite at the Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave (Corner of 7th St), Brooklyn, NY 11215

In this workshop, artist and wet specimen restorer Mark Batelli will teach students how to preserve and prepare specimens in an educational, allegorical and artful manner inspired by the work of Dutch anatomist Frederik Ruysch (1638 – 1731). Students will be provided with their choice of a gopher or frog, a selection of other non living objects with which to embellish the jar, and all other necessary materials to creating a finished piece.

More here.

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The Skull Beneath the Skin: Drawing the Human Skull with NYU's Chris Muller
Skull drawing with real human skulls loaned by Ryan Mathew Cohn of TV's Oddities
Date: Saturday, July 19
Time: 1 – 4 PM
Offsite*** ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave, Corner of 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Admission: $30
*** Purchase tickets by clicking here.
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

The skull is the most direct symbol of death, as well as the structure lurking within every portrait. The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy offers a workshop on drawing the skull, both from observation and from the imagination. Different approaches to understanding the pleasingly complex structure of the skull will be explored, and different ways to draw the structure demonstrated. Skull models will be provided to draw from, as well as basic drawing supplies - brown paper, charcoal and white chalk.
Participants may bring any other drawing materials they wish.

More here.

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Extraordinary Birds: The Art of Ornithology Lecture and Book Signing
Illustrated lecture with Paul Sweet, Collection Manager in the Department of Ornithology, AMNH
Date: Tuesday, July 22
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $5
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424 A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue)
*** Copies of Extraordinary Birds will be available for sale and signing

Tonight, join American Museum of Natural History ornithologist Paul Sweet for a heavily illustrated lecture based on his new book Extraordinary Birds, the second publication in the AMNH’s Natural Histories series. In Extraordinary Birds, Paul traces the history of ornithological illustration from the Renaissance to the 20th century, examining the development of scientific thought, world exploration and printing techniques, and telling the stories of important figures from the history of ornithology.

More here.
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Dissection and Drawing Workshop with Real Anatomical Specimens with physical anthropologist Samuel Strong Dunlap, PhD
Date: Saturday, July 26
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Admission: $60
*** Must pre-order tickets here
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424 A 3rd Avenue ( Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue ), 11215 Brooklyn, NY (Subway: 4th Av - 9th Street : R - F - G)

Modern scientific dissection and illustrations commenced in the Renaissance. Basic anatomical dissection, illustration and knowledge are still fundamental in many fields such as evolutionary biology, surgery, quality medical schools, and forensic science.

In today’s workshop, we will dissect and draw a Didelphis virginiana–the North American opossum–a “living fossil” whose anatomy has remained virtually unchanged over the past 70 million years; this creature is considered to be a good model for a basal–i.e. early or original–mammal. Many comparative skeletal materials will be available for examination and illustration, and additional specimens may also be available. Gloves, scalpels and probes will be provided. Marie Dauenheimer, medical illustrator (and instructor of this afternoon’s carbon dust workshop), will assist with this workshop.

More here.
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Carbon Dust Drawing Workshop, Featuring Real Anatomical Specimens Drawing class with Board Certified Medical Illustrator Marie Dauenheimer, MA, CMI
Date: Sunday, July 27
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Class size limited to 12
Admission: $75 (includes materials cost)
*** Must pre-order tickets here
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424 A 3rd Avenue ( Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue ), 11215 Brooklyn, NY (Subway: 4th Av - 9th Street : R - F - G)

Carbon dust is a technique perfected by medical artist Max Brodel, at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in the late 19th century. This technique–which, until the digital age, was an essential component of medical illustration education–allows the artist to create luminous, textural, three-dimensional drawings by layering carbon dust on prepared paper.

Today’s one day intensive workshop will teach students the use of this all but forgotten medium, and guide each student in the creation of a finished work based on real anatomical specimens supplied by the instructor. The workshop will also include a historical lecture placing carbon dust drawings in the context of the history of anatomical and medical art. The instructor will provide all materials necessary for this workshop, and will also share finished carbon dust drawings.

More here.
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The Victorian Art of Hair Jewelry : Workshop with Art Historian and Master Jeweler Karen Bachmann
Saturday, August 2
Time: 1 – 5 PM
Admission: $100
***Tickets must be pre-purchased here
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424 A 3rd Avenue ( Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue ), 11215 Brooklyn , NY
Subway: 4th Av - 9th Street (R - F - G)

Hair jewelry was an enormously popular form of commemorative art that began in the late 17th century and reached its zenith during the Victorian Era. Hair, either of someone living or deceased, was encased in metal lockers or woven to enshrine the human relic of a loved one. This class will explore a modern take on the genre.

More here.
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Anthropomorphic Mouse (One or Two Headed!) Taxidermy Class with Divya AnantharamanDate:  Sunday, August 3
Time: 1 – 5 PM
Offsite*** ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave, Corner of 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Admission: $110 (one-headed) / $125 (two-headed)
*** Purchase tickets by clicking here.
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

In this class, students will learn all the skills required to make--and leave class with their very own--piece of one- or two-headed mouse anthropomorphic taxidermy. Today's class will teach students everything involved in producing a fully finished mount, including initial preparation, hygiene and sanitary measures, fleshing, tail stripping, and dry preservation. Once properly preserved, the mice will be posed and outfitted as the student desires, with a selection of props and accessories provided. Students are also encouraged to bring their own accessories and bases. All other supplies

More here.

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Demonically Possessed Cats: Illustrated lecture with Dr. Paul Koudounaris
Date: Thursday, August 7
Time: 8:00
Admission: $8 (Tickets here)
**Copies of Heavenly Bodieswill be available for sale and signing

Does your cat do things like:
-- spit fire?
-- speak in tongues?
-- levitate?
-- shape shift?
-- wantonly kill people for no apparent reason?

This behavior may be more than simple bad kitty syndrome—your cat may be possessed by a demon. But don’t worry, you’re not alone. In fact, there is an entire history of demonically-possessed cats. Felines were once considered by theologians to be easy prey for demons, who could enter their bodies and wreck incredible havoc on mankind. And did you know . . . demonically-possessed cats are still believed to be with us today! Dr. Paul Koudounaris, author of the cult macabre tomes Empire of Death and Heavenly Bodies has immersed himself in the study of demonic cats, and will return to the Morbid Anatomy Museum to give a talk on this sadly neglected topic.

More here.
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Fancy Chicken Taxidermy Class with Taxidermist in Residence Divya Ananthamaran
Date: Saturday, August 23
Time: 12 – 6 PM
Offsite*** ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave, Corner of 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Admission: $400 (includes all materials for use in class, students go home with their own finished piece, and the knowledge to create their own pieces in the future)
*** Purchase tickets by clicking here.
EXPERIENCE LEVEL-Beginner to Intermediate
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

In this exclusive workshop, we will be immersed in everything about the fancy chicken and classic bird taxidermy. These beautiful birds are some of my absolute favorites to work on, and come from a variety of heritage breeds and crosses. As the number of breeds, nuances, and variations of chickens is vast, there will be a variety of colors and types to choose from. The birds used in this class are domestically raised show or pet birds that are naturally deceased.

More here.

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Industrial Ladies

An Illustrated Lecture by Evan Michelson, Science Channel's Oddities, Morbid Anatomy Library Scholar in residence
Date: Thursday, September 11
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8 (Tickets here)
*** Offsite: Morbid Anatomy Museum (New Space) , 424 A 3rd Avenue (Corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue), 11215 Brooklyn, NY
Subway: 4th Av – 9th Street (R – F – G)

One hundred years ago, the art of the wax department store mannequin reached its zenith. These fragile, cumbersome, and extremely expensive industrial objects were ubiquitous fixtures on busy shopping streets in cities throughout the world. A few decades later, they were obsolete. In their heyday, wax women ruled supreme as the luxurious clotheshorses of the moment - industrial objects created with no philosophical, educational or artistic purpose beyond inspiring an impulsive yearning. Mundane and mesmerizing, these were objects that projected desire, and perfectly expressed the feminine ideals of their time. For one collector, these ladies represent a personal puzzle: why would a person with mild automatonophobia surround herself with so many silent and eerie companions? How do they work their magic? How does age make these forever-young ladies ever-more beguiling?

More here.

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Halloween: The Curious Story of America's Most Horrible Holiday
Illustrated Lecture by Lesley Bannatyne, author of Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History
Date: Sunday October 26th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8 (tickets here)
*** Offsite at the Morbid Anatomy Museum ( New Location ) : 424A 3rd Ave (Corner of 7th St), Brooklyn, NY 11215

Tonight, join Halloween scholar Lesley Bannatyne as she traces our onetime children’s holiday-turned-blood-and-guts carnival from its tiny origins in northwestern Europe through its recent explosion in popularity in the States. Drawing on research from her latest book, Halloween Nation. Behind the Scenes of America's Fright Night, Bannatyne looks at everything from spirit communication to monster culture to extreme haunted entertainments to horror films, to highlight who celebrates Halloween and what makes it so important to so many people
More here.
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Monsters on the Brain: A Natural History of Horror

Muerte en Mexico: A Special Field Trip to Mexico for Day of the Dead to Visit Sites Important to the History of Death in Mexico
A 4-day trip to Mexico curated, organized and guided by Mexican writer and scholar Salvador Olguín for Borderline Projects, and Morbid Anatomy
Dates: October 31 - November 4 2014 (**Must reserve by July 15)
Includes: Two Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico City and Oaxaca; Special tours to El Templo Mayor, The Monumental Day of the Dead Offering at El Zocalo and The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, a visit to the historical neighborhood of Coyoacán and the Dolores Cemetery. Sites in Oaxaca include the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca attached to the Church of Santo Domingo, the citywide celebration and vigil of Day of the Dead at the Panteon General (the Oaxaca General Cemetery), also known as the Panteon San Miguel; the Old Xocotlan Cemetery, The Cathedral of the Virgin of the Assumption, the Benito Juarez and 20 de Noviembre crafts and food markets, among many other incredibly beautiful traditional places and museums.
Cost: $675.00 USD (ncludes all hotels in double-rooms, luxury ground transportation, museum admissions, guided visits, and breakfasts; airfares not included); email info@borderlineprojects.com to reserve a space.

More here.