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Digitized by the Internet Archive 2014 in https://archive.org/details/crowningachievemOOhelf CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS DENTISTRY in the ARS MEDICACOLLECTION ofthe PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OFART William H. Helfand PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART Publishedontheoccasionofanexhibitionatthe PhiladelphiaMuseumofArt,March28-May30,1999 Cover:DetailofStudiesoftheNoseandMouth,c.1622,byJusepedeRibera. PurchasedwiththeSmithKlineBeckman(nowSmithKlineBeecham)Fund fortheArsMedicaCollection.1986-65-1(page46) EditedbyMorgenCheshire DesignedbyTsangSeymourDesign,Inc.,NewYork PhotographybyLynnRosenthal SeparationsbyNewArtPrinting ProductionmanagedbyRichBonk PrintedbyNewArtPrinting ProducedbytheDepartmentofPublishing PhiladelphiaMuseumofArt BenjaminFranklinParkwayat26thStreet P.O.Box7646 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania19101-7646 Copyright©1999bythePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedina retrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutpriorpermission, inwriting,ofthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt. PrintedandboundintheUnitedStatesofAmerica LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Helfand,WilliamH. Crowningachievements:dentistryinthearsmedicacollectionof thePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt/WilliamH.Helfand. p. cm. PublishedontheoccasionofanexhibitionatthePhiladelphia MuseumofArt,Mar.28-May30,1999. Includesindex. ISBN0-8763—3-126-6(pbk.) — 1.Dentistry Exhibitions. 2.Dentistry—Pictorialworks. 3.Dentistryinart. 4.PhiladelphiaMuseumofArt Exhibitions. I.PhiladelphiaMuseumofArt. II.Title. RK69.U6H44 1999 617.6,0074'74811—dc21 98-54838 CIP ISBN0-87633-126-6 CONTENTS FOREWORD [4] DENTISTRY IN THE ARS MEDICA COLLECTION BYWILLIAM H. HELPAND [5| CATALOGUE Advertisements [6] Itinerants and Quacks [21] OfficeVisits [31] The Profession [38] Patients [46] Politics [54] Patron Saintsand Popular Culture [58] INDEX [64] FOREWORD AtthetimeoftheestablishmentoftheArsMedica Creditforsubstantiallybroadeningthescope CollectionatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtin oftheArsMedicaCollectionduringthepast 1949,thestatedmissionwastoassembleacollec- thirty-threeyearsgoestoonedonorinparticular, tionofworksofartonpaperthatwouldserveasa WilliamH. Helfand.Eversincejoiningthenewly pictorialrecordofthehistoryofmedicine.From constitutedadvisorycommitteeoftheDepartment theoutsetitwasdeterminedthattheArsMedica ofPrints,Drawings,andPhotographsin 1967,Mr. Collectionshouldreflectthebroadestpossible HelfandhasenrichedtheMuseumwithasteady rangeofartisticresponsestothedeeplyaffecting streamofgifts(designatedbytheMuseumasthe issuesofhealthanddisease,evokingnotonlysuch WilliamH. HelfandCollection)ofprintsaswellas basichumanemotionsashopeandgrief,butalso postersandotherephemerarelatedtothehistory angerandhumor:piousexemplarsandpoetic ofmedicine.Bytheirverynature,ephemeraare metaphorswouldkeepcompanywithpolitical theartifactsmostvulnerabletothedepredations jibesandcure-allpromotions.AstheArsMedica oftime.Asthisexhibitionsovividlydemonstrates, Collectiongrewsteadilyinsizeandstatureduring itisthankstotheperspicuityandgenerosityof theensuingdecades,sodidtheMuseum's Mr.HelfandthattheArsMedicaCollectionnow originalpartnerinthisambitiousenterprise,the preservessuchanastonishingrangeofthese Philadelphia-basedpharmaceuticalcompany printedperishables:fromwall-sizedposters,hand- whosenamehasbeengraduallytransformedover bills,andminusculecallingcardstoinexpensive theyearsastheresultofasequenceofmergers: noveltiessuchascomicalstereographs,sassy fromSmith,Kline,andFrenchtoSmithKline valentines,andamusichallsongsheetcover. Beckman,andmostrecentlytoSmithKline Inadditiontobeinganavidcollector,Mr. Helfand Beecham,nowheadquarteredinLondon.Four isalsoanotedexpertandanauthorinhisfield, decadesofacquisitionsfundedbythisglobalgiant andthusisuniquelyqualifiedtoactasourguide, arerepresentedinthisexhibition,includingtwo bymeansofthisbooklet,toanexhibitionthathe printspurchasedtheyearthattheArsMedica himselfhasshapedforouredificationanddelight. Collectionwasstarted:anengravingbyLucasvan Leyden,TheDentist(ASurgicalOperation) Anned'Harnoncourt of1523(no.23),andalithographbyHonore TheGeorgeD. WidenerDirector Daumier,Voyons... OuvronsLaBouche!(Let's SeeNow...OpenWide!)of1864 (no.60). InnisHoweShoemaker Overthepastfortyyears,asuccessionof TheAudreyandWilliamH.HelfandSenior curatorsintheDepartmentofPrints,Drawings, CuratorofPrints,Drawings, andPhotographs andPhotographshaveenjoyedworkingwiththe ArsMedicaCollection.WearegratefultoJohn Ittmann,theMuseum'sCuratorofPrints,whose keeneyeandvoluminousknowledgeofprintmak- inghavehelpedinformboththisexhibitionandits accompanyingpublication. DENTISTRY IN THE ARS MEDICA COLLECTION Dentalimagesofthelastfivehundredyearsdo ingaudiencesanddrowningoutpatients'screams. notrecordthestridesmadeinadvancingdentistry Beforethepracticeofdentistrywasmodernized, fromatradepracticedbothbyaccomplished suchpublicperformanceswerecommon,andthey surgeonsand,morefrequently,byill-trainedand weresufficientlylivelytoattractlargenumbers oftenunscrupulous,albeitresourcefuloperators, ofbothpotentialpatientsandartistsaswitnesses. tothehighlysophisticatedprofessionitistoday. Althoughtheprintsrarelyshowdentistsina Theydonotreflect,forexample,theconsiderable particularlyflatteringlight,theydonotmake influenceofPierreFauchard(1678-1761),whose themfiguresofridicule,andinsteadconcentrate two-volumetextLeChirurgiendentiste,ou,traite moreonthepainofthesuffererthanonthe desdents(TheDentalSurgeon,orTreatiseonthe talentsoftheoperator. Teeth),publishedinParisin 1728,setdentistry ButasthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt'sArs firmlyontheroadtobecominganestablishedpro- MedicaCollectionreveals,imagesofdentistry fession.Nordotheycommentonthesignificant offermorethanscenesoftoothpulling.They improvementsinanesthesia,prostheses,tooth includeadvertisingpostersfortoothdrops,pastes, repair,equipment,andfluoridation,amongothers, andwhiteners;chromolithographedcardsfor thathavetakenplaceinthelasthundredyears. nineteenth-centurydentifrices;comicvalentines Instead,dentalimagesmosttypicallyrevealmore sentanonymouslytoinsultthedentistofone's aboutthesocietyofthetimeandthesocialstatus choice;andevenmoderninterpretationsofavisit ofthedentistandthepatientthantheydoabout tothedentist.Certainlythedentalscenecontin- thehistoryofdentistry. uestobearipesourceforhumor,andideasthat Amongthesomethreethousandprints, HonoreDaumierandThomasRowlandsonrecorded drawings,andphotographsintheArsMedica intheirnineteenth-centurycaricaturesarestill — CollectionofthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt,a echoedtoday wecontinuetosee,forexample, significantnumberpertaintodentistsandthe imagesofdentistsusingblacksmith'stongsincon- practiceoftheirprofession.Inthemain,these temporarycartoons. IntheMuseum'scollectionof showscenesofteethbeingpulled,themedical caricatures,bothpoliticalandsocial,thedentist procedurethatiscertainlythemostfrequently becomesanauthorityfigureandsubsequentlya recordedbygraphicartists.Theseoperationstypi- convenienttargetoftheartists'resentment.Thus callytakeplaceeitherinsqualidtavernsorrooms artistshaveturned,andwillmostlikelycontinue wherepeasantsoftenlosetheirpocketbooksin toturn,tothesubjectofdentistrynottoproclaim additiontotheirdiseasedmolars,inwell-designed thesuccessofdevelopmentsinthefielditselfbut officesofurbanpractitioners,orintheopenair, tofindintheprofessionasourceofhumorand whereflamboyantlydressedtravelingcharlatans socialcommentary,ensuringthatthenumber conspicuouslydisplaycredentialsattestingtotheir ofsuchimagesintheArsMedicaCollectionwill legitimacyandprowess.Oftenaccompanyingthese continuetogrow. toothpullersaremusicians,comedians,harle- quins,orotherentertainerswhowereassignedthe WilliamH.Helfand taskofluringinlargecrowdswhilealsodistract- 1. Poster 2. Poster PatedentifriceduDocteurPierre(Dr.Pierre's DentifricesduDocteurPeterson(Dr.Peterson's Toothpaste),c.1894 Toothpastes),1895 Colorlithograph;29V2x197A"(74.9x50.5cm) Colorlithograph;55'Ax39%"(140x101cm) PrintedbySocietedePublicationsd'Art,Paris PrintedbyCourmontFreres,Paris Louis-MauriceBoutetdeMonvel(French,1851-1912) EugeneOge(French,1861-1936) PurchasedwiththeSmithKlineBeckman(nowSmithKline TheWilliamH.HelfandCollection.1981-114-11 Beecham)FundfortheArsMedicaCollection.1969-258-12 Aboydressedasalawyerinacourtroomscenearguesthe ThemanufacturersofDr.Pierre'sdentalproductsadvertised advantagesofDr.Peterson'stoothpasteandtoothpowder. inmanydifferentmediums,includingmagazines,pamphlets, Boxesofeachareonatableinfrontofhimalongwitha posters,andpaintingsonthewallsofbuildingsinParisand folderofpapers;alargebottleofDr.Peterson'smouthwash otherlargeFrenchcities.Thiswell-knownposterofayoung restsonanotherfolderonatablenearby.Claimsforthe girlholdingatoothbrushandaboxofDr.Pierre'stoothpaste Petersonproductsstresseconomyandsuperiority. wasfirstusedasapromotionalpieceinFranceandincertain Europeancountries. mm (PRESPOTINfl PARIS SEUL DEPOTenFRANCE DE LANOUVELLE DENT'NACREITE" HYGIEWIQUEETINCASSABIE uDentiA ~]f. NT1ERSaCREDIT On recoit LESBONSDUFAYEL Me/jerP0l/$r//OM/S.26Ji/ePig3//e.Pam Imp.JUMENTIER15hub!S'Denis.Paris 3. Poster L'Avenirdentaire(DentistryoftheFuture),c.1895 Juxtaposingbeforeandafterviewsofwhatcouldbe Colorlithograph;M'hx24"(88.3x61cm) expectedfromtreatmentbyadentistwhohadreceivedsome PrintedbyJumentier,Paris trainingintheUnitedStates,thisposteralsoadvertises L.Pousthomis(French,activelatenineteenthcentury) hygienicandunbreakablefalseteeth,theirsettings"invisible" TheWilliamH.HelfandCollection.1995-114-1 tothenakedeye.