Artist/Maker
Unidentified artist
Artist/Maker
Fowler & Wells
(1838–ca. 1946)
Depicted
Pierre Simon LaPlace
(1749 - 1827)
Pierre Simon LaPlace (1749–1827)
mid-19th century
Painted plaster
Overall: 13 x 6 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. ( 33 x 16.5 x 22.2 cm )
Purchase
1946.355
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.
MarkingsPaper label on back: "LaPlace head 11-82, crayon La Place"; paper label on front: "PIERRE SIMCA LAPLACE French Astronomer"
ClassificationsSCULPTURE
