Mütter Matters
Following a two-year comprehensive review and community engagement process, the Mütter Museum has announced changes that stress clear guidelines for the use, acceptance, and exhibition of human remains that will guide future donations and photography of the 6,500 remains in our collection.
We will continue to exhibit human remains with a commitment to contextualizing their history and provenance, thanks in part to the findings of the . Key provisions in the College’s updated will guide future acquisitions of human remains. The Museum may consider an acquisition if offered by a living donor or by a decedent via bequest, though in all cases the College will not be bound to accept such offers.
Similarly, the new policies guide the use of photography or videography of the human remains collection and provide clarity about how images may be used in research, educational, or exhibition settings. In conjunction with the completion of the Postmortem Project, the College also announced that it will return nearly 400 videos to its YouTube channel, which were removed in January 2023.
“At a time when professional standards on the ethical display of human remains have evolved rapidly, our choice has been to audit our collection to better understand its potential, and to consider input on how to move forward from every segment of our community,” said Larry R. Kaiser, MD, President and CEO of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. “Through the review process, we have heard from our colleagues in science and medicine as well as from thousands of people who, like us, treasure the Mütter Museum and fully support its mission to enhance the public’s understanding of human disease and the history of medical treatment.”
“The Postmortem process has provided great insight into how to improve the Museum experience, and I am confident that both the College and the Mütter are positioned for great days ahead.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Focused on revamping its policies in accord with evolving modern ethical standards governing the exhibition of human remains, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, parent organization of the Mütter Museum and Historical Medical Library, has announced changes that stress clear guidelines for the use, acceptance, and exhibition of human remains that will guide future donations and photography of the 6,500 remains in its collection.
The changes were announced at a press conference on August 19, 2025, marking the completion of the landmark Postmortem Project, a two-year comprehensive review and community engagement process supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
The Museum will continue to exhibit human remains with a commitment to contextualizing their history and provenance. Clear guidelines have been created for use, acceptance, and exhibition.
More than 80 percent of the YouTube videos that were removed in January 2023 will return to the Museum’s channel. Of those not returning, age or relevance were the principal factors in the decision. In some cases, for example, they referenced programs that have long since ended or cited information no longer relevant to existing Museum functions.
We are working on an innovative de-anonymization research project, which focuses on researching the individual histories of the Museum’s human remains to restore their identities where possible, and to be transparent about the outcome of this research. The Museum’s Interpretation staff will integrate this groundbreaking research into the visitor experience through guided tours, expanded in-gallery resources, and object labels.
Further acquisition of human remains will be limited. The College will only consider those offered by a living primary donor or by a decedent offering remains via bequest. In every case, however, the College is not bound to accept such donations and retains the right to decline them. These policies will enable the Museum’s staff to focus on the highest standards of stewardship for the remains currently in its care.
While the Museum will permit the use of existing images or planned photography of the human remains in its collection, it will be permitted only to serve a defined educational purpose. In all cases, photography or videography of the human remains collection is not allowed without the express permission of Museum leadership.
You can learn more about our Human Remains and Image Policy here.
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 .
More Materials Coming Soon
Online Database Launch
In August 2023, the Mütter Museum announced that it will provide worldwide access to its collection of medical history through a free .
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 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 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.
News Articles, Statements, Other Relevant Responses:
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