Michael Sappol Books

Michael Sappol is a scholar whose work delves deeply into the history of anatomy, death, and the visual culture of medicine across film, illustration, and exhibition. His engaging explorations uncover fascinating insights into how the human body and its relationship with science have been perceived throughout history. Sappol's approach examines the visual representations of human anatomy and medicine, often highlighting their complexity and multifaceted nature. His scholarship is essential for understanding the evolving interplay between art, science, and our comprehension of the body itself.

A Traffic of Dead Bodies
Anatomy and Embodied Social Identity in Nineteenth-Century America
446 pages
16 hours of reading
4.1(38)Add rating
Exploring the world of bodysnatching and anatomical practices, the narrative delves into how 19th-century American physicians shaped their professional identity through anatomy. It highlights the tension between medical authority and societal resistance, showcasing a diverse cast including middle-class individuals, unorthodox healers, and health reformers. These characters navigated the complexities of life and death, challenging and redefining their social identities in a rapidly changing medical landscape.
Queer Anatomies
Aesthetics and Desire in the Anatomical Image, 1700-1900
280 pages
10 hours of reading
Exploring the intersection of anatomy and eroticism, this book delves into the often-overlooked erotic expressions found in 18th and 19th-century anatomical imagery. It highlights how anatomical illustrations, typically seen as sober and technical, also conveyed monstrous, provocative, and sensual qualities. The work uncovers the queerness of the men involved in the creation and collection of these images, revealing a hidden narrative of desire and intimacy within a discipline that traditionally shunned such topics.
Body Modern
272 pages
10 hours of reading
An imaginative exploration of how Fritz Kahn's popular scientific illustrations visualized and performed industrial modernity

A Traffic of Dead Bodies

Queer Anatomies

Body Modern