Accession No
5181
Brief Description
papier-mâché zoological anatomical model of a cockchafer beetle (aka may bug), by Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux, French, 1878
Origin
France; Saint-Aubin-d'Écrosville [attributed]
Maker
Auzoux, Louis Thomas Jérôme
Class
biology; physiology; demonstration
Earliest Date
1878
Latest Date
1878
Inscription Date
1878
Material
paper (papier mâche, card, at least two others); metal (brass, steel, one other); organic (hair)
Dimensions
length 440mm; width 280mm; height 150mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Trevor Philip & Sons, 75a Jermyn Street, St James, London, England. Purchase part-funded by a grant from the PRISM fund (Science Museum).
Inscription
‘Auzoux doct. Fecit anno 1878’
Description Notes
Papier mâché zoological anatomical model of a cockchafer beetle (aka may bug), by Auzoux, French, 1878.
Model many times life size, with steel and white metal frame. The model is painted with the correct colouring and it is labelled with printed descriptions on paper. The model disassembles into two halves, which are held together by brass eyes and hook fasteners. Disassembly reveals the inner organs of the beetle. The wings are visible underneath the wing cases (not removable).
Condition good; complete.
References
Anna Maerker; 'Auzoux's animal models'; Explore Whipple Collections online article; Whipple Museum of the History of Science; University of Cambridge; 2008: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/models/dr-auzouxs-papier-mache-models/animal-models
Events
Description
This model was made by the famous French firm of Auzoux, using the secret papier-mâché recipe of the French anatomist and naturalist Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux. Whilst wax had been used for anatomical modelling since the Renaissance, Auzoux’s use of novel materials rendered his models lighter and more durable than those made from traditional wax media. This beetle model, which can be taken apart to reveal the insect’s internal structure, was designed for use in teaching comparative zoological anatomy. It represented the insect as one of the six Cuvierian specimen types. The other five types of animals were represented by the turkey (bird), the boa constrictor (reptile), the sea bass (fish), the snail (mollusk) and the leech (annelid).
This is an example of a ‘clastic’ model, which disassembles to reveal the internal organs of the beetle. Unlike Auzoux’s human models, these animal models used unnatural colouring of internal anatomy to facilitate identification. The French government were a major client of Auzoux, promoting the popularization of anatomical knowledge by introducing anatomical programmes into public education.
05/11/2013
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 05/11/2013
FM:45531
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