Selected Exhibitions Past and Present

Spit Spreads Death: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 in Philadelphia

What happens when disease strikes a city of two million people, sickening half a million and killing more than 12,000 in just six weeks, and 20,000 in six months? What would YOU do?

Our Finest Clothing: A Layered History of Our Skin

Opened February 12, 2016 | Upper level of Mütter Museum

This exhibition explores the biology, pathology, and cultural aspects of skin from both a historical and contemporary angle.

Grimms' Anatomy: Magic and Medicine

Though many fairy-tale bodies belong to the realm of the marvelous, some have real-world counterparts.

Imperfecta

This exhibition examines the shifting perceptions about abnormal human development, from fear and wonder to curiosity and clinical science.

Woven Strands: The Art of Human Hair Work

Jan. 19, 2018—Sept. 16, 2018 | Thomson Gallery

An exquisite group of hair art and jewelry, as well as accompanying materials that discuss the social expectations of Victorian-era mourning rituals.

Tracing the Remains

January 13 – July 6, 2017 | Thomson Gallery

Highly evocative embroidered and crocheted pieces adapt the Mütter Museum collection into captivating personal narratives, addressing the effects of chronic illness.

Perfect Vessels, photography by David Orr

Explore Perfect Vessels, a brand new exhibition by LA-based artist and photographer David Orr, inspired by the Mütter Museum’s renowned Hyrtl Skull Collection.

Lisa Nilsson: Connective Tissue

July 13, 2017 – January 4, 2018 | Thomson Gallery

Lisa Nilsson showcases ornate quilled paper constructions that explore the complex geography of the human anatomy.

Broken Bodies, Suffering Spirits: Injury, Death, and Healing in Civil War Philadelphia

No Civil War battles were fought in or near Philadelphia, but the war came here in other ways. On trains and steamboats, tens of thousands of wounded and sick soldiers arrived in the city, to be cared for in local hospitals. 

Blood Work

BLOOD WORK is a new series by artist Jordan Eagles based on the various elemental qualities of blood and copper, as well as works in blood dust and gauze. In the presence of light, the works vibrate iridescent reds, crimsons, oranges, browns, and black and cast shadows, projecting an intense glow. These effects make the works appear as if they are illuminated from within.