Wellcome uses cookies.

Read our policy
Wellcome Collection homepage
All
Stories
Images
Catalogue
Events

Stories

  • Article

A history of gestation outside the body

It’s been over 400 years since a Swiss alchemist theorised that foetuses could develop outside the womb. Claire Horn examines incubator technology past and present, and explores the possibilities recent prototypes might bring.

  • Article

Lonely bodies are hungry for more than turkey

At Christmas, many charities provide dinners for homeless or isolated people. Food is central to festive celebrations, but it can also satisfy our hunger for belonging and community.

  • Article

A brief history of tattoos

The earliest evidence of tattoo art dates from 5000 BC, and the practice continues to hold meaning for many cultures around the world.

  • Article

Maria McKinney on ‘Sire’

All my grandparents were farmers; I grew up in the countryside surrounded by farms and helped neighbours herd sheep and cattle into the field. My body of work called ‘Sire’ looks at the genomics of modern cattle breeding.

All stories (16)

Images

  • Above, red-figured Greek pouring vessel with a round body and a short spout; below, detail of decoration showing a stylised leopard. Watercolour by A. Dahlsteen, 176- (?).
  • Above, black Greek lidded pouring vessel with a round body and a long spout; below, lid decorated with the head of a satyr. Watercolour by A. Dahlsteen, 176- (?).
  • Extended ear lobe, Rubriand, Solomon Islands.
  • Nose pin, Aboriginal, Northern Australia.
  • Skull showing cranial elongation, Vanuatu Republic.
  • Elongation of the head, Mowe, N. Britain
  • Nose pin, Aboriginal, Northern Australia.
  • Waist constriction by cane belts, Konyak Naga
  • A surgeon applying a cautery iron to clearly defined points on a woman's lower abdomen (indicating spleen?). Pen drawing after a tenth century manuscript.
  • A surgeon applying a cautery iron to clearly defined points on a woman's lower abdomen (indicating the liver?). Pen drawing after a tenth century manuscript.
All images (41)

Catalogue

All works (86)