Artist/Maker
Unidentified artist
Artist/Maker
Fowler & Wells
(1838–ca. 1946)
Depicted
Thomas Hart Benton
(1889 - 1975)
Life mask of Thomas Hart Benton (1782–1858)
ca. 1840
Painted plaster
Overall: 11 x 8 5/8 x 4 1/2 in. ( 27.9 x 21.9 x 11.4 cm )
Purchase
1946.364
This cast was part of the Phrenological Museum of Fowler & Wells, which opened in New York City in 1842. Brothers Orson Squire Fowler (1809-1887) and Lorenzo Niles Fowler (1811-1896) and their business associate Samuel Roberts Wells (1820-1875) were noted phrenologists who read heads to understand the subject's "temperament." Their Phrenological Cabinet displaying casts, skulls, and charts became a popular fixture in the city.
DescriptionLife maskMarkingsPaper label on back inscribed: "Benton mask 20-87"
InscribedInscribed on back in pencil: "T. H. Benton"
ClassificationsSCULPTURE
