"Henry... how many mummified bodies do you have?"

I saw an advert on the tube today for the latest installment at the Welcome Trust called 'Things': a public exhibit where people are encouraged to bring along a "thing"... simple enough, however I didn't think it had the pull of the previous exhibition called 'SKIN'. Much better I'm sure you'd agree. The SKIN exhibition documented numerous objet d'peau including a section on "dermographism": carving into your own skin. I shared an anecdote with my friend about people in school we knew who used to scratch (harmlessly) their latest crush onto their arm with a compass as a sign of childish devotion. When we strolled further around the exhibits we came across a picture of one of these school friends, had they been in a 1920s French lunatic asylum. Pictured was an inmate who had carved the name of her condition into her back in 6inch high gashes. We paused, not only due to the sheer specticle, but also to question why she chose such an inaccessible area as her back to perform her scribbling... eventually we gave kudos for the dexterity (as we decided that this demonstration of skill was her motivation) needed to perform such legible engraving, but decided she lacked imagination - either way our own experience with dermographism paled in significance...

I admire Henry Wellcome and his ludicrous number of fascinating finds, however I'd draw the line at collecting mummified Peruvian boys. I can understand possibly having one stashed away in the airing cupboard (bringing it out for special occasions), but Henry went whole hog and got himself 3! Check them out in the permanent Wellcome collection.

http://www.wellcomecollection.org/

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