Send us Fan Mail

Death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen hosts Philadelphia-based medical historian Brandon Zimmerman to discuss his 2024 book, “Dissection Photography: Cadavers, Abjection, and the Formation of Identity,” about medical students (1880–1930) taking souvenir photos with cadavers and what the images reveal about coping with death through humor, ritual, and discomfort. 

Brandon describes modern cadaver lab realities, including fainting, vomiting, sensory reactions, and students naming cadavers, and contrasts today’s mostly donation-based system with past body procurement through grave robbing and unclaimed bodies. 

They explore ethical issues raised by a recent Pennsylvania grave robbing case tied to the oddities market, cemetery neglect, and stewardship, including how criminalizing ownership of human remains may drive the trade underground. 

00:00 Faith Meets Dissection

02:24 Meet Brandon Zimmerman

03:56 Why Cadaver Photos Existed

04:57 Modern Lab Coping

07:30 Uncanny Dead Body Reactions

10:59 Preservation Changes Anatomy

13:47 Donations Versus Unclaimed

14:53 Naming the Cadavers

17:31 Recognizing Someone You Knew

19:57 Where Bodies Come From

20:59 Unclaimed Lives Honored

24:23 Cremains Lost in Neglect

28:01 Grave Robbing Returns

29:21 Student Dream Photos

32:17 Oddities Market Economics

35:20 Inside the Storage Locker

38:19 Can You Spot Stolen Bones

42:10 Cemetery Laws and Security

45:59 Wrap Up and Book Info

46:57 Grave Robbing History Deep Dive

https://www.instagram.com/brandozim/

https://www.amazon.com/Dissection-Photography-Cadavers-Abjection-Formation/dp/1529222184

Support the show

Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support 

Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. 

Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life. 

[email protected] 

https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call.

www.endoflifeclarity.com
Instagram
Facebook
Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle
LinkedIn
TikTok