The Making of Mr. Gray's Anatomy: Bodies Books Fortune Fame

Grays Anatomy is probably one of the most iconic scientific books ever published: an illustrated textbook of anatomy that is still a household name 150 years since its first edition known for its rigorously scientific text and masterful illustrations as beautiful as they are detailed. . The Making of Mr Grays Anatomy tells the story of the creation of this remarkable book and the individuals who made it happen: Henry Gray the bright and ambitious physiologist poised for medical fame and fortune who was the books author; Carter the brilliant young illustrator lacking Grays social advantages shy and inclined to religious introspection; and the publishers - Parkers father and son the father eager to employ new technology the son part of a lively circle of intellectuals. It is the story of changing attitudes in the mid-19th century; of the social impact of science the changing status of medicine; of poverty and class; of craftsmanship and technology. And it all unfolds in the atmospheric milieu of Victorian London - taking the reader from the smart townhouses of Belgravia to the dissection room of St Georges Hospital and to the workhouses and mortuaries where we meet the friendless poor who would ultimately be immortalised in Carters engravings. . Alongside the story of the making of the book itself Ruth Richardson reflects on what made Grays Anatomy such a unique intellectual artistic and cultural achievement - how it represented a summation of a long half centurys blossoming of anatomical knowledge and exploration and how it appeared just at the right time to become the Doctors Bible for generations of medics to follow.