Anatomie d'une collection

Anatomy of a collection

Sir William Osler (1849-1919) and the Renaissance of Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)

A presentation by Dr. Hélène Cazes (University of Victoria/McGill)

15 November 2012, 4pm – 5 pm

Meakins Auditorium, Room 521, 5^th floor, McIntyre Medical Building, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, McGill University.  Montreal, Canada.

Dr. William Osler (1849-1919) founded a library of approximately 8,000 historical books to illustrate the history of medicine which he willed to McGill University. He carefully gathered titles and commentaries to tell the epic story of medical progress. The 1543 anatomical treatise by Andreas Vesalius, the De Fabrica, holds a very special place not only in the History of Medicine but also in the life of William Osler as an icon of intellectual freedom and scientific progress.  The lecture will present, through the Library’s book collection and material drawn from the archives, the life-time admiration of William Osler for the Renaissance anatomist. 

The talk will be followed by a viewing of some of Osler’s collection in the Osler Library.

Hélène Cazes is Associate Professor of French at the University of Victoria. Her research and teaching interests encompass humanism, the history of medicine, and cultural legacies. Her current research project, entitled “Enfin Vésale vint”, focuses on the making of the iconic status of Vesalius as an the epic of medical progress.