Modern Mummies: The Preservation of the Human Body in the Twentieth Century

by Christine Quigley

Overview

For many, a mummy is an Egyptian pharaoh, wrapped in cloth, found thousands of years later in a pyramid by archaeologists. But mummies need not be ancient. Modern-day mummies can be found under glass in special tombs built in their honor, in private collections where they have come to rest after decades on the carnival circuit, in dissecting rooms of medical schools, and in the basements of funeral homes waiting for decades to be claimed by the next of kin.

Stories about the famous (Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Ho Chi Minh, Eva Peron) and the not-so-famous (Leslie Hansell wanted her body mummified to bask in the sun rather than being buried in the cold ground) mummies are told here in great detail, along with a broader look at the history and process of mummification. The book includes a comprehensive study of the successful prolonged preservation of the human body, and delves into the law and science of modern mummification.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786428519
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	10/24/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	271
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.54(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late Christine Quigley authored books and articles, wrote an eclectic blog called Quigley’s Cabinet and reviewed books for Fortean Times.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction     

1. What Has Been, May Be, Can Be, and Will Be Done: The History, Law, and Science of Modern Mummification     
2. Lying in State: Icons, Idols, and Eccentrics     
3. Occupational Hazards: Outlaws, Victims, and Local Folks     
4. Learning About Life and Death: Teaching Aids, Test Subjects, and Teratology Specimens     
5. Buying Immortality: Emulations, Innovations, and Applications     
6. Accidents of Nature: Adventurers, Explorers, and a Spelunker     
7. Acts of Faith: Servants, Patriarchs, and Believers     
8. Mummy Miscellany: Eviction, Collection, and Neglect     
9. Conclusion     

Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

detailed study...incorporates carnival mummies, religious incorruptibility, freak accidents, mortuary science, and cryogenics”—C&RL News; “choc-full of riveting posthumous biographies...extraordinary photographs...a fascinating tome”—Fortean Times; “a wealth of fascinating information”—Morbid Curiosity; “well researched...a mass of detail of anecdotal and technical variety”—The Embalmer; “amazing”—Freaks; “those interested in ancient or modern mummification can unearth useful information”—Blue & Gray; “most fascinating”—mummytombs.com.

From the Publisher

An illustrated history of how bodies have been mummified in the past 100 years, by the author of and . Examines methods such as ancient Egyptian techniques, contemporary taxidermy, and natural processes of mummification are also examined in detail. Stories about famous and not-so-famous mummies are told, from medical school cadavers to sideshow curiosities to the venerated remains of political and religious leaders. Includes extremely creepy b&w photos. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews

a wealth of fascinating information

Morbid Curiosity

choc-full of riveting posthumous biographies...extraordinary photographs...a fascinating tome

Fortean Times

detailed study...incorporates carnival mummies, religious incorruptibility, freak accidents, mortuary science, and cryogenics

C&RL News