While processing the Robert Latou Dickinson papers, Center staff came across photographs of Robert Latou Dickinson and artist Abram Belskie in their studio at the New York Academy of Medicine.

Dickinson and Belskie Collaboration

After retirement from medical practice, Dickinson collaborated with Belskie at the New York Academy of Medicine to create molds and models of human reproductive anatomy for display and as teaching aids, some of which were exhibited at World’s Fair in 1939. These models were later featured in the teaching book Birth Atlas. The sculptures Norma and Normman were a product of their collaboration as well. In 1945, Dickinson transferred his reproductive anatomy model collection to the Cleveland Health Museum. In 2007 the Health Museum was absorbed into the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and at that time transferred the Dickinson-Belskie collection to the Warren Anatomical Museum.

Below are photographs of Dickinson and Belskie in studio with their teaching models, from the Dickinson papers. The photographs were originally produced for Look Magazine; the Library of Congress now holds the copyright for the images (LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division). The Dickinson-Belskie Collection in the Warren Anatomical Museum (object numbers 20500-20778) is available for research. Advance notice is required. The finding aid for the Dickinson papers is available online. For information regarding access to these collections, please contact the Public Services staff.

This news post was originally published on the Center for the History of Medicine’s Wordpress site.