June 3, 2023
Leadership was interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer for a story on the removal of online content and allegations of individuals formerly engaged with the institution. Part of the article is provided below and can be fully accessed .
In early April, Quinn and Irons emailed college staff to say there was a “great deal of misinformation circulating at the moment,” they wrote. They emphasized that their efforts aimed to “implement best practices…and [ensure they are] ethical and respectful stewards of the human remains that are entrusted to our care.”
By May 12, the museum acknowledging the discord in the social media comments and insisting that the review is “critical” to improving their visitor experience. The statement also said that in coming months the Mütter will “host a series of discussions about our future” and will invite the public to participate.
“We’ve already begun with the human remains committee, an ad hoc committee that’s part of the College, and we’re talking to them on a fairly regular basis,” Quinn said. She’s invited focus groups of humanities and medical history experts to provide feedback on their digital collections.
Quinn is also pursuing accreditation through the .
The leaders plan to launch a new and comprehensive collections database, beginning the first phase in July, as a digital resource for the public and researchers alike. But viewers may not see any pictures of human remains in this database, unlike the interactive online exhibit, “Memento Mütter,” which Quinn removed in January as part of the digital takedown. The webpage, launched in 2016, provided an up-close and at times cheeky look at anatomical specimens and historical objects through high-resolution images; it offered unprecedented access to the collection online for those who couldn’t visit in person.
Quinn said some of those images could reappear in the new database if “we decide that’s the right thing to do.”