Quackery Collection

Phrenology bust by L. N. Fowler
Phrenology bust by L.N. Fowler. Phrenology was a popular pseudoscience of the nineteenth century. The basis for the theory lay in a misplaced belief that a persons character

Phrenology bust. Phrenology was a popular pseudoscience of the nineteenth century. The basis for the theory lay in a misplaced belief that a persons character

Animal magnetism, satirical artwork
Animal magnetism. Satirical artwork depicting a patient and animal magnetism practitioner with animal heads. Animal magnetism was developed by the German physician Franz Mesmer (1734-1815)

Dentistry, satirical artwork
Dentistry. Satirical artwork titled Without Effort, showing a dentist and his assistant removing a patients tooth in a public display area

Advertisement for Harness world famed Electropathic Belts, c. 1890 (engraving)
XJF486362 Advertisement for Harness world famed Electropathic Belts, c.1890 (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Cartoon from Puck, between 1880 and 1889. Creators: Joseph Keppler, Bernhard Gillam
Cartoon from Puck, between 1880 and 1889

AI IMAGE - A plague doctor, 17th century, (2023). Creator: Heritage Images
AI IMAGE - A plague doctor, 17th century, (2023). Physician who treated victims of bubonic plague, wearing an ankle-length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask

AI IMAGE - A plague doctor, 17th century, (2023). Creator: Heritage Images
AI IMAGE - A plague doctor, 17th century, (2023). Physician who treated victims of bubonic plague, wearing an ankle-length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask

The Quack, c.1619-c.1625. Creator: Anon
The Quack, c.1619-c.1625

Italian Marketplace with a Quack Dentist, 1651. Creator: Johannes Lingelbach
Italian Marketplace with a Quack Dentist, 1651. Other Title(s): Marketplace in an Italian Town, with an Itinerant Toothpuller

The Tooth Puller, 1608. Creator: Caravaggio, Michelangelo (1571-1610)
The Tooth Puller, 1608. Found in the collection of the Galleria Palatina, Florence

Removing the Rocks in the Head, c. 1550-1600 (oil on panel)
3704072 Removing the Rocks in the Head, c.1550-1600 (oil on panel) by Bosch, Hieronymus (c.1450-1516) (after); 41.3x30.9 cm; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

To Ladies. Advert for Dr John Hoopers Female Pills. Date: 1886

Recto; Quack Doctor selling his Wares in the open Air (red chalk on paper)
AMO397742 Recto; Quack Doctor selling his Wares in the open Air (red chalk on paper) by Watteau, Jean Antoine (1684-1721); Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

A Bumper Mistake by Lawson Wood - Phrenology
The Phrenologist: Bless my soul, Sir; your bump of destructiveness is most abnormally large. You must be a soldier. The Subject: Oh, dear no; I m a chauffeur. Date: 1912

Quack (coloured engraving)
3641890 Quack (coloured engraving) by Bennett, Charles Henry (1828-67); Private Collection; (add.info.: Quack. Illustration for Shadow and Substance by Charles H Bennett and Robert B Brough (W Kent)

Palmistry (engraving)
3642530 Palmistry (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Palmistry. Illustration for The Family Doctor and Peoples Medical Adviser, Vol II (George Purkess)

A quack medicine seller at a fair in a small town in Germany, 1820 (chromolitho)
2782641 A quack medicine seller at a fair in a small town in Germany, 1820 (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Verso; Quack Doctor seated on Stage, selling his Wares (red chalk on paper)
AMO397743 Verso; Quack Doctor seated on Stage, selling his Wares (red chalk on paper) by Watteau, Jean Antoine (1684-1721); Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; eAshmolean Museum; French

The Quack, or Charlatan (engraving)
3646779 The Quack, or Charlatan (engraving) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Quack, or Charlatan)

Marriage a la Mode, Plate III, The Inspection, illustration from Hogarth Restored
STC451153 Marriage a la Mode, Plate III, The Inspection, illustration from Hogarth Restored: The Whole Works of the celebrated William Hogarth, re-engraved by Thomas Cook, pub

The Charlatan, ca 1757. Found in the collection of Fondation Bemberg, Toulouse

The Dentist, 1523. Artist: Leyden, Lucas, van (1489 / 94-1533)
The Dentist, 1523. Private Collection

The Charlatan. Artist: Bosch, Hieronymus, (School)
The Charlatan. Found in the collection of Israel Museum, Jerusalem

The Charlatan. Artist: Tiepolo, Giandomenico (1727-1804)
The Charlatan. Found in the collection of Museu Nacional d Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

The quacksalver. Artist: Steen, Jan Havicksz (1626-1679)
The quacksalver. Found in the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The quacksalver, 1620-1625. Artist: Rombouts, Theodor (1597-1637)
The quacksalver, 1620-1625. Found in the collection of Museo del Prado, Madrid

Marriage a la Mode, Plate III, The Inspection, 1745 (engraving)
XJF397638 Marriage a la Mode, Plate III, The Inspection, 1745 (engraving) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); Private Collection; (add.info.: original in National Gallery)

Quack, satirical artwork
Quack. Satirical artwork depicting a quack from Germany. Quack is a derogatory term referring to medical practitioners who defraud patients by claiming to have skills or qualifications that they do

PATENT MEDICINE AD, C1920. American advertisement for nuxated iron, with an endorsement from Pope Benedict XV, c1920

Quackery Unmasked, or Empiricism Displayed: Dedicated to Doctor Chiron, riding Master to Achilles
XJF867813 Quackery Unmasked, or Empiricism Displayed: Dedicated to Doctor Chiron, riding Master to Achilles, and Aesculapius, physician extraordinary to the Dead, 1748 (engraving) by English School

Dr. Comicus Selling his Pills, from The Adventures of Dr. Comicus or The Frolicks of Fortune
KW2603357 Dr. Comicus Selling his Pills, from The Adventures of Dr. Comicus or The Frolicks of Fortune, published c.1815 (hand-coloured aquatint) by English School

Merchants token, 19th century
Metal token for Basil Burchell, Sole Proprietor of the Anodyne Necklace for Children Cutting teeth. The anodyne necklace was a popular quack remedy dating from as early as the 1700s

Vintage health poster (early 1900 s). Poster advertising Eau de Suez an oral painkiller for toothache.Advertisements for unproven proprietary or patent medicines

Vintage patent medicine advertisement (late 1800 s). Dr Seth Arnolds Cough Killer medicine was advertised as a cure for coughs, asthma, pneumonia, malaria and many other diseases

Dentistry caricature, 19th century
Dentistry caricature. 19th-century artwork titled Hob and Stage Doctor, showing an itinerant tooth drawer pulling a patients tooth with a tooth key at a country fair or market

American newspaper advertisement, 1889, for Dykes Beard Elixir
BEARD ELIXIR AD, 1889. American newspaper advertisement, 1889, for Dykes Beard Elixir

The Improved Home Turko-Russian Folding Bath Cabinet. English newspaper advertisement, 1897
BATH CABINET, 1897. The Improved Home Turko-Russian Folding Bath Cabinet. English newspaper advertisement, 1897

MEDICINE: COUGH CURE. American patent medicine advertisement for Hop Bitters, c1900

Artwork of a medical charlatan selling quack cures
Medical charlatan. Caricature of medical charlatan Georges Fattet selling vials of a " cure-all" medicine. Next to Fattet is a man with his jaw in a bandage

Phrenology chart

Phrenology. Computer artwork of the side of a head, with the skull divided into numbered regions, consistent with the nineteenth century pseudoscientific practice of phrenology

Phrenology busts, side view. Phrenology was a popular pseudoscience of the nineteenth century. The basis for the theory lay in a misplaced belief that a persons character

Phrenology model of a head. The pseudo-science of phrenology was based on the belief that a persons intellect and personality were related to the shape of their skull and scalp

Perkins Tractors, satirical artwork
Perkins Tractors. Satirical artwork showing the use of Perkins Patent Tractors, two short metal rods drawing out an electrical fluid said to cause disorders

London doctors, satirical artwork
The Company of Undertakers (1736), also known as Consultation of Quacks. This satirical artwork was designed and engraved by the English artist William Hogarth (1697-1764)

Cupping, historical artwork
Cupping. Historical artwork showing the use of suction cups, a form of traditional medicine used to bring bad blood to the surface from internal organs

Phrenology head. Close-up of the eye of a phrenology bust. Phrenology is the study of a persons characteristics by feeling the shape of their head

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"Unveiling the Charlatans: A Journey into the World of Quackery" Step right up and witness the bizarre world of quackery, where snake oil salesmen and charlatans reigned supreme. From phrenology busts by L. N. Fowler to satirical artworks mocking dentistry, this captivating collection exposes the depths of deception. Behold the Phrenology bust, a pseudo-science claiming to reveal one's character through skull bumps. Delve into its controversial history as it gained popularity in an era desperate for answers. Animal magnetism takes center stage next, with satirical artwork shedding light on its absurdity. Witness how mesmerists claimed to harness unseen forces for healing purposes, captivating audiences with their dubious claims. Dentistry too had its fair share of quacks, as depicted in biting satire that exposed their questionable practices. Explore these humorous illustrations that unmasked dental charlatans who preyed upon unsuspecting patients. But wait. The spectacle continues with an advertisement for Harness world famed Electropathic Belts from 1890. Marvel at this engraving promoting belts that promised miraculous cures through electric currents—a prime example exploiting people's desperation for relief. Venturing further back in time, we encounter "Removing the Rocks in the Head, " a thought-provoking oil painting from centuries ago. Discover how even our ancestors fell victim to false remedies and miracle cures. To ladies seeking solutions, Dr John Hooper's Female Pills were marketed as a panacea for all female ailments in 1886. Uncover the truth behind these pills and explore society's vulnerability when faced with medical uncertainties. Witness firsthand a quack doctor selling his wares in open air through red chalk on paper art piece titled "Recto. " Observe how cunning individuals capitalized on public spaces to peddle their dubious potions and elixirs.