Item #1430 Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios
Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios

Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy, 1928-30; Atlas of the Entire Human Anatomy, told in transparencies, in a series of bound portfolios

Item #1430

Published in installments in the late 1920s, by Thomas Nelson & Sons (New York — Toronto), and printed in the United Kingdom, this nifty anatomical atlas was written by J.E. Cheesman, Deputy Medical Officer of Health for Leyton, London. The book is subtitled: A Series of Drawings on Transparent Sheets for facilitating the Reconstruction of Mental Pictures of the Human Body.

This seems to have been sold on a subscription basis, as the individual thin folios were issued separately. They are housed in a dedicated album with several of the foios tucked in, rather than bound in with the others.

What is perhaps most remarkable about this album is the level of detail to which the diagrams descend. Each aspect of the human body is treated to no less than twelve transparencies, further systems being progressively exposed: skin, muscles, blood vessels, bones, nerves, etc. Each system is further delineated with a different color: tendons and ligaments in green, nerves in yellow, and so forth. This is no novelty today but at the time it was considered revolutionary, allowing students to peek within the human anatomy without the need for repeated dissections.

The thin plastic sheets have held together remarkably well considering the passage of a century, and while delicate turning is required, the pages have not stuck together.

The individual chapters are as follows:
I. Upper Arm and Shoulder
II. Forearm
III. Hand
IV. Thigh and Hip
V. Leg
VI. Foot
VII. Thorax
VIII. Abdomen
IX. Head and Neck
IX(a). Pteryo-Maxillary Region
X. Brain (the only folio missing)
XI. Perineum (Male)
XII. Perineum (Female)

Each folio is bound in thick card and comes with a loose paper foldout explaining intention and proper use of the transparencies. Part III: The Hand, interestingly, has a wedding ring on the ring finger.

A few notes on the specific folios in this particular copy of the book:

Part VII: The Thorax is loose from the binding, but fully intact.
Part VIII: The Abdomen is loose from the binding, and furthermore has been printed, and stapled, upside-down. Still fully usable.
Part IX: The Head and Neck is, uniquely among the albums, cover-dated beneath the publisher’s colophon: 1928. Elsewhere, we find the dates 1929 and 1930 on the aforementioned paper foldout.
Part IX(a): Pteryo-Maxillary Region appears in two copies, one properly bound, the other loose. The loose copy contains the only real damage to the album, as the transparencies have been somewhat crushed and torn along their right edge. The folio may have arrived damaged thus from the printer, and was therefore replaced. At any rate, the bound copy is in print condition, as are all the other folios.
Part X: The Brain is unfortunately missing. Perhaps that was due to the confusion over there being two copies of IX (a).
Part XI: Perineum (Male) is loose from the binding, but not torn or damaged in any way.
Part XII: Perineum (Female) is similarly loose, in perfect condition, and tucked in like the other loose portfolios.

Three ephemera are tucked into the front of the album, written at a later date, and seemingly in an American idiom (as opposed to the refined British of the original edition): a one-page explanation of the use of the transparencies with a shadow box; a small Rx slip, unfilled; and a three-page set of more extensive instructions on using the atlas. The typing of these additional pages seems to date from the 1950s or possibly 1960s, indicating that this volume was considered useful for decades after publication.

As stated, the binding is in excellent condition, with the gold of the front-cover stamping not chipped or faded. The front hinge has loosened with time, but not substantially. The rear cover has some minor spotting. The hinges of the bolting mechanism (which, in tiny letters, reveals a patent date of June 29, 1921) are somewhat rusty, but no leakage of the rust is evident on the nearby pages.

The album measures 8 1/8” x 9 5/16” x 1 1/4”, portrait orientation (add half an inch to the height to account for the loose folios); the pages “flip-up” rather than turned from one side to the other.

A wonderful collectible for anyone interested in medical history, and the evolution of medical instruction.

Price: $250.00

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