Mütter Matters
In recent months, there has been much speculation on the future of the Museum and a great deal of misunderstanding regarding our processes and path forward.
Below you will find detailed information about the temporary removal and return plan of our online content as well as some important resources that provide context to the “why” that is at the core of these decisions – ethics, respect, and consent.
We value your opinion. If you would like to share any questions or concerns with leadership, please email them to inquiries@collegeofphysicians.org.
Thank you for your support of the Mütter Museum. Our members, visitors, and supporters allow us to continue to do critical work in facilitating human health.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The Mütter Museum remains open to the public and to researchers. Not much is likely to change in the next few years.
- We are in the early stages of a comprehensive audit of the Museum’s collections to ensure the accuracy of our records, including each object’s provenance history, location, and related documentation. We expect this work to take several years to complete and should not affect the long-term gallery displays.
- Like the Smithsonian and other museums all over the world that are facing many of the same challenges, we have concluded that planning the future MUST include examination of questions such as collection provenance, consent, and what constitutes respectful display of human remains, especially at a time when these standards are evolving rapidly.
- We are committed to listening to all of our stakeholders, and that work is ongoing. We will do so through the recently launched Postmortem: Mütter Museum project, funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. This project will be active through September 2025.
- It is important to understand that this work, so important to the Museum’s future, enjoys the full support of the Board of Trustees.
Far from it. We want to tell even more stories than ever before and dedicate further resources to creating an engaging, educational experience for our visitors. You can expect to hear news about new exhibits and initiatives in the coming months.
No. The videos were temporarily removed for comprehensive review by a panel of experts to ensure the content was ethical and mission-focused. Many have already been returned to the Museum’s YouTube page and can be accessed here.
Leadership at the Mütter Museum and College of Physicians passionately believe in the mission of the Museum and its critical contributions to medical education. They care about its past, present, and future, and ensuring the institution remains a vital part of Philadelphia and the global communities who travel to visit us every year. Leadership loves the Mütter as much as our many fans do and seeks only to make the visitor experience better in the future.
Resources on Professional Standards Regarding the Exhibition of Human Remains
This Code reflects principles generally accepted by the international museum community.
A Code of Ethics and Professional Practices for Collections Professionals
The Code developed to address specific issues relevant to the life and earth sciences.
Feedback Reports
In this section you will find reports from the various conversations the Museum is engaging with stakeholders, community members, third-party experts, and more as we continue with our ethical review.
Mantua Neighbor and Active Researcher Focus Group Report
These discussions were originally conceived to gather information about how people do or do not access the Museum’s digital collections with a stated goal of expanding the institution’s audience and who it serves in a new Museum Collections Database. Read more here.
Ad Hoc Committee on Human Remains Report
Coming soon
Online Video Review Feedback
Coming soon
August 30, 2023 Online Database Launch
The Mütter Museum announced that it will provide worldwide access to its collection of medical history through a free online searchable database.
This work aims to serve the mission to “advance the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine” by bolstering research, education, and outreach efforts.
The new online collections database is critical to expanding transparency of the objects and specimens in the Museum’s collections, for the first time providing researchers and the public with direct access to information about the collections.
Acknowledgments
Support for the Museum Collections Portal has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. The views expressed are those of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage or The Pew Charitable Trusts.