Summary
Welcome to Further into Imperfecta. This exhibit was designed in 2017 as a digital companion to Imperfecta, an exhibit at the Mütter Museum that ran from February 2017 through September 2019. Imperfecta examined shifting perceptions about abnormal human development, from fear and wonder to curiosity and clinical science. Further into Imperfecta explores aspects of "freak shows," the presentation of abnormal bodies in images, and basic ideas of "otherness" that surround abnormal bodies, by following interrelated "paths." The first major section, Living Curiosities, explores a theme discussed in Imperfecta: the monetization of abnormal bodies, particularly through the freak shows of the 19th century. Additional sections were added through 2018.
Further into Imperfecta was originally presented using a non-linear format powered by the Scalar, a digital scholarly publishing platform created by The Alliance for Networking Visual Culture at the University of Southern California. Content from the original Scalar version of this digital exhibit was migrated to the Digital Image Library in April 2025 in order to retain content on a better supported framework.
Credits
This exhibit was created by Tristan Dahn, Digital Projects Librarian, with research and writing assistance by Sara Ray, Ph.D. candidate, University of Pennsylvania. The section on Maternal Impression was written and researched by Tristan Dahn with assistance by Beth Lander. Exhibit theme adapted from the physical exhibition Imperfecta, created by Michael Keys, Exhibits Designer at the Mütter Museum, Philadelphia, PA