Phrenology

During class, we briefly observed Phrenology- the theory of brain and science of character reading. We then researched to find a variety of questions. We then found out that the L.N. Fowler brain was made in the early 1800's, split into two parts, and based on brain functions. While researching, I typed into the search bar a broad topic of this model such as, "L.N. Fowler," or "Phrenology head." I did not type in exactly what I wanted to be able to find information about it. I learned that you must be very specific while researching, and be very observant of every angle. The question of "is this model a real artifact?" came up. The only way to know was to look at the manufacturer at the bottom. It was not an artifact, so it is not a primary source. A provenance is the ownership of an antique, or the place of origin for the earliest known history of that artifact. This head could only be used as a primary source if the question of, "how did students of the 21st century learn about researching?" and then it would be a primary source.




American Phrenological Journal