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COLLECTION — Box: 01 Identifier: H MS c606

Harris Peyton Mosher photographs of anatomical preparations

Scope and Contents

Twenty albumen photographs depicting anatomical preparations of decapitated human heads in various stages of dissection. Images vary in size and are mounted uniformly on 14x11 inch mats, many bearing Mosher's name. Some photographs are labeled and accompanied by detailed description written directly on the mat. Included are images depicting the surgical technique known as Killian's Operations and examples of the Nasal Turbinates.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1910

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Access requires advance notice. Contact Public Services for further information.

Conditions Governing Use

The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all materials in the collection. Researchers are responsible for identifying and contacting any third-party copyright holders for permission to reproduce or publish. For more information on the Center's use, publication, and reproduction policies, view our Reproductions and Use Policy.

Extent

0.36 cubic feet (1 flat oversize box)

Biographical Note

Harris Peyton Mosher (1867-1954) was born in Woodsford, Maine in 1867. Mosher was known for his work in developing the field of otolaryngology through research, novel techniques and instruments, and his role in national otolaryngology societies. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1896 and trained in ear, nose, and throat centers in Germany. He returned to the United States and became associated with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and as instructor at Harvard Medical School. He developed the first course in sinus anatomy in the US, which endured for 35 years and was referred to as "Mosher's course."

In 1919 he was appointed Professor of Laryngology at HMS and Chief of Laryngology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1932 he was appointed to the Walter Augustus LaCompte Chair of Otology at Harvard, becoming the second person to hold two chairs at Harvard. Mosher was chosen as president of the American Board of Otolaryngology upon its formation in 1924 and served in that capacity for 25 years. He retired in 1939.

Mosher received numerous awards including the Semon Medal from the Royal Society of Medicine of London, the Gold Medal from the American Laryngological Association, and a services medal from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. He was known for as his intranasal ethmoidectomy (a type of sinus surgery) technique and his method for removing safety pins swallowed by babies.

A 1930 census identifies Mosher as white. He married Helen Augusta Rothwell in 1913.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchase, Swann Auction Galleries, 2021

Related Collections in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Center for the History of Medicine

Varaztad Hovhannes Kazanjian papers, 1900-1979, 1984 (inclusive). H MS c51. Harvard Medical Library, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Mass.

Related Collections at the Harvard University Archives

Papers of Harris Peyton Mosher, 1917. HUG4584.xx. Harvard University Archives, Boston, Mass.

Processing Information

Processed by Marco Lanier in November, 2022. Collection was processed according to Level 1 protocol.

Title
Mosher, Harris P. (Harris Peyton), 1867-1954. Photographs of anatomical preparations, circa 1910: Finding Aid.
Status
completed
Author
Marco Lanier
Date
2022-11-04
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
eng
EAD ID
med00958

Repository Details

Part of the Center for the History of Medicine (Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine) Repository

The Center for the History of Medicine in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine is one of the world's leading resources for the study of the history of health and medicine. Our mission is to enable the history of medicine and public health to inform healthcare, the health sciences, and the societies in which they are embedded.

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