The International College of Surgeons and International Museum of Surgical Science’s founder, Dr. Max Thorek, was well known for his pioneering spirit in the field. Of his many advancements, the museum has maintained a curiosity towards some of his more controversial undertakings.
Viewing large collections, such as the Thorek Library, is a wonderful way of visualizing how ideas in medicine change and morph into standards that we know today.
The most remarkable aspect of this book is the fact that nearly half of the pages include some form of infant scribbling. Some scribbles are large and heavy, others tight and soft, but all include an unrestrained confrontation with motor development. I find it so fitting that the author and the scribbler both sought one in the same thing, through the same object—to better understand the hand.
Where state-of-the-art provisions may not always be affordable, or clash with other historic preservation concerns (historical architectural accuracy, material preservation, etc.), simple interventions and education can be a critical first step in preserving cultural heritage. With collections of books, this can be as simple as soft-packing or wrapping a volume in tissue, as we began to learn here at the Museum early last year.
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