OLLI Rare Book & Manuscript Library Presentations - Spring 2026
Location: All OLLI Rare Book & Manuscript Library Presentations will take place in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 346 Main Library, 1408 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801
These presentations are designated for OLLI members through our collaboration with the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML). Space is limited and registration still required through your OLLI account online.
If you have questions regarding the presentation topic or content, email askacurator@library.illinois.edu or call 217-333-3777.
Presenter: Dana Miller
Talking Heads: A Look at Phrenology and Physiognomy Texts
“And whilst I scan the human skull / The heavy, thick, the bright, or dull; / I can propound, from ev’ry pate / The sad realities of fate. / My simple slave is Doctor Gall, / And Spurzheim answers at my call” (Preface, A political lecture on heads, p. 6)
Phrenology is a pseudoscience developed by German physicians Franz Joseph Gall and Johann Spurzheim in the early 19th century. At the intersection of psychology and physiology, phrenology is the study of the shape and size of the human skull in order to gain insight into one's intellectual faculties and character. Often conflated with phrenology, physiognomy (also a pseudoscience) involves the judgement of one's character through the evaluation of their physical attributes, such as facial features.
Join us for a discussion about phrenology, physiognomy, and the relationship between these two problematic methods of understanding human behavior, and a look at materials from RBML's collection!