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1870 S. R. Wells and M'Lean Phrenology Broadsheet Poster

$ 2787.83

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Condition: Very good. Minor water staiuns, lower quadrants. A few minor edge repairs. Printing creases here and there. Buckling where 'M'Lean' pastedown warped the paper.
  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
  • Item must be returned within: 30 Days

    Description

    1870 S. R. Wells and M'Lean Phrenology Broadsheet Poster
    WE SELL ONLY ORIGINAL ANTIQUE MAPS - NOT REPRODUCTIONS
    Title:
    Know Thyself! Lectures on Phrenology by Dr. J. P. M'Lean.
    Description:
    This is an uncommon c. 1865 promotional broadside advertising a lecture by the itinerant mesmerist and phrenologist J. P. M'Lean (MacLean). The broadside focuses on the 'Symbolical Head' offering the classic phrenological brain map, divided into modules representing faculties, where contain images of the postulated functions. Below the 'Symbolical Head' a framed area with red type advertises lectures by Dr. J. P. M'Lean, an itinerant phrenologist and mesmerist associated with the Aberdeen Phrenological Society. Surrounding the advertisement are 56 illustrations of differently shaped heads, many of which are drawn from previous illustrations present in phrenological books published by Fowler and Wells. The lectures were on such subjects as 'How to Read Character Scientifically' and would be followed by 'Public Examinations,' presumably conducted by M'Lean.
    The Pseudoscience of Phrenology
    Phrenology was a pseudoscience that promoted the believe that it was possible to determine an individual's moral character, intelligence, and more through detailed measurements of the shape the head. Phrenologists believed that certain areas of the brain were devoted to specific functions and behavioral patterns. For example, it was believed that 'love of offspring' or 'philioprogenitiveness,' was located at the back of the head, so, if this region was larger in an individual, it was postulated that they might have a greater likelihood to be a loving parent.
    American Phrenology in the 19th century
    The study of phrenology was initially developed by the German scientist Franz Josef Gall (1758 - 1828), but did not become exceptionally popular until the early 19th century. The primary American proponents of Phrenology were the brothers Lorenzo Niles Fowler (1811 - 1896) and Orson Squire Fowler (1809 - 1887). Lorenzo moved to England where he established the L. N. Fowler and Co. phrenological publishing house. Orson partnered with brother-in-law Samuel Roberts Wells (1820 - 1875), the publisher of this broadsheet, establishing their own New York based phrenological publishing firm, Fowler and Wells. They also published the American Phrenological Journal from roughly 1839 to 1901.
    Curiously, the present broadsheet identifies S. R. Wells as the publisher, making no note of Fowler, suggesting that this was published after the Fowler brothers left Fowler and Wells in 1855. The Fowler Brothers left the firm in the hands of Samuel Roberts Wells, but it was probably managed Charlotte Fowler Wells (1814 - 1901), the wife of Samuel Roberts and sister of Lorenzo and Orsen. The broadside is undated but based upon the history of the firm, we believe it must date to the 1860s.
    This broadside is rare. The OCLC records copies at the University of Delaware, the Cincinnati Historical Library and the Library Company of Philadelphia, the record describing the line for the lecturer’s name as blank.
    Size:
    Printed area measures 41.5 inches high by 27.5 inches wide.
    Condition:
    Very good. Minor water staiuns, lower quadrants. A few minor edge repairs. Printing creases here and there. Buckling where 'M'Lean' pastedown warped the paper.
    Shipping:
    Shipping rates are not negotiable. Items are shipped within three business days of receiving payment. We are happy to consolidate shipping where possible. The following shipping options are available:
    1. FedEx Overnight (45 USD). USA Only. Signature Required.
    2. FedEx Ground or Home Delivery (15 USD). USA Only. 1 - 10 days. If your address is a P.O. Box and cannot ship FedEx we will ship USPS Priority and, while we ship promptly, recent postal personnel cutbacks mean that delivery may take time. Signature Required.
    3. FedEx International or DHL International EXPRESS (45 USD).
    4. We can use your FedEx Account.
    Customs:
    International buyers are responsible for paying duty and taxes on delivery. DHL or FedEx will contact the buyer by telephone to arrange tax payment if it is levied. Duty varies by country and we cannot predict the amount you will be charged. Some countries are duty free, others are not. Typically, a customs duty and/or VAT tax will be assessed on all parcels to continental Europe. Sometimes duty or tax is due in China, but is seems very random. Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan have never assessed duty on a map we shipped. Maps shipped to the UK should be duty free as educational materials, but from time to time duty of 5% is assessed incorrectly by the UK customs agents.
    Insurance:
    All shipments are insured privately against loss and damage. All of our shipments require a signature for insurance purposes.
    If you have any questions please feel free to email us through eBay.
    Other Services
    Conservation Framing:
    Geographicus recommends basic conservation framing services for any antique paper. We do not offer this service.
    Antique Map Restoration:
    Geographicus can repair and restore your antique map. Services include deacidification cleaning flattening and backing.
    BEWARE anyone attempting to contact you, from a different eBay account, claiming to represent Geographicus Antique Maps. My eBay handle is GeographicusMaps. If you are contacted by email by someone offering you my items, please call me directly to be certain you are not dealing with a con artist.
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