The Mütter Museum, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Established in 1863 after Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter–the museum's namesake–donated his collection of specimens and tools, the museum serves as a place to display and educate visitors on medical mysteries and ‘anomalies.’ It houses a vast collection of medical instruments, anatomical specimens, and remains (such as bones, skin, and skulls). Over time, the museum has been home to over 6,600 specimens. Located in the city center, the museum attracts around 130,000 visitors annually. The building that the museum is housed in is designed in the Greek Revival style using brick and beige marble and surrounded by a tall black metal fence. An…show more content… Her wish was fulfilled a year after she passed and today, Carol Orzel’s skeleton is displayed next to Harry Eastlack and a handful of pieces of her jewelry at her request. The museum does not publicly recognize its sponsors. Other than Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter and his donation of $30,000 along with his entire medical collection, no other funders were identified, either in person or online. This lack of transparency regarding funding furthers the skepticism surrounding the museum's practices. In September 2023, the museum received a $285,500 grant from Pew to acknowledge these concerns. The grant is to be used over the next two years to develop and implement an ethics policy and a new exhibit that explores critiques related to display consent, the collection’s ethics, and open interpretations. The goal of this exhibit is to encourage feedback through polls throughout the museum and town halls. The Hyrtl skulls are arguably the most well-known display within the museum. This display takes up an entire wall of the main exhibit. The display consists of antique wooden shelves holding human skulls mounted on individual
