Witches to the rescue

A unique macabre set of seven handmade silhouettes produced in the 19th century tells the story how death (in the form of a skeleton) came to take a doctor (by cutting a piece from him), but the witches, feeling sorry for the doctor, fought off death and brought the doctor back to life. The grateful doctor thanks the witches. The witches are shown in traditional form, with pointed hats flying on brooms.

Feets, don't fail me now

This print commemorates the prowess of "George Wilson the Pedestrian," who earned acclaim in the early 19th century by walking hundreds of miles in a matter of days. Pedestrian walking had its origins in the 1600s, when nobility would wager against each other to see who had the fastest footman, a job which entailed hurrying off ahead of the horse-drawn coaches the elite travelled in to make sure rooms were readied in advance for an overnight stay at their destination. By the time Wilson appeared on the scene, "Town-to-town events, supported by gambling, became quite the rage -- even becoming the most popular sport in England for a while."

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Exhibits:

Introduction

Ostrich Egg Holder

Physiognomy: You Are the Sum of Your Parts

Muggletonians: Unconventional Beliefs

Malevolent Monkey

Macabre Silhouettes

Professional Pedestrian

Freudian Slip?

Clever Cat Automaton Doll

April Fish

Better Living Through Science

Extreme Makeover

Flying Saucer Designs

Improbable Architecture

Big Hair

Artificial Memory

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Worm's-eye view

The artist of this painting of a woman in high heels was obviously familiar with and amused by Freudian ideas about libido and phallic symbols, which were widely influential in 1949 when this painting was made. He also inserted a sly jibe at Yale men, showing an unsuspecting student in a letter sweater approaching the femme fatale in high heels.

Wind him up: Puss in Boots automaton

Driven by spring-wound clockwork mechanisms, which also drove the clocks of the era, automaton dolls were capable of multiple movements and became fashionable entertainments for well-to-do families at the end of the 19th century. This one portrays the storybook character Puss in Boots, realistically fashioned from fur over paper mache, and wearing a red silk cape and a satchel around his neck. Wind the clockwork mechanism beneath his cape and his mouth opens and closes as the head nods back and forth. See larger images here.

Puss in Boots first appeared in written literature in a book of Mother Goose stories published in 1697 by French author Charles Perreault. The entertaining tale recounts how the clever cat masterminds his young master's transition from rags to riches through a series of cunning ruses.

April Fish

This Art Nouveau illustration of the letter G is inscribed Avril (April) 1902 and embellished with the drawing of a young man in medieval garb gazing upward at a pretty young woman. He bears a large, fanciful red and green fish on a platter, from which rises a spiraling red plume hovering in the air as a question mark for an inscription in French that translates as, "Could it be more lasting than a frivolous April fish?" What appears to be a obscure metaphor refers to the traditional April Fools' Day joke in France in which pranksters attach a cut-out paper fish known as a poisson d'avril -- literally "April fish" -- to the back of an unsuspecting victim. Perhaps this drawing was an April love note to the woman shown in the drawing, whose name had the initial "G," the artist asking whether their love will last or be as ephemeral as a paper fish. Alternatively, this might have been one illustration in a series of the months of the year, with the letter "G" referring to something in the series.