I'm looking for some vintage medical models (torsos/hearts etc) the kind where organs come out for science class & in dr's offices.

Not sure if anyone works at a school or medical facility & has any access to these. I'm finding them online but they are $$$

I'm not sure how "vintage" they are but there's a place in Chicago called "American Science Surplus" and they usually have tons of stuff like this. Last time I was there a month ago they had some around but I didn't pay attention on price. Their webstore isn't as good/accurate as what's actually in stock, but here's some similar junk http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm?sub ... ategory=25

May wanna call and see though.

Thank you for the tip. I might look into it. I keep hoping to stumble on one at a flea market or something. I wonder how many of these just ended up in hospital dumpsters..

I look at a similar site called "Health Edco" Who sell amazing items like "Smokey Sue smokes for 2" (a yarn doll with a creepy fetus in a jar smoking!)
http://www.healthedco.com/storefrontB2C ... tm_index=2

and "The Skeletal Smoker" (a skeleton with a cig in his mouth)
http://www.healthedco.com/storefrontB2C ... tm_index=1

among other great items. I love these 2 especially.

wow that fetus in the jar is gross.

"fetus and jar are easy to clean"
*shiver*

haha thats what I was jus thinkin, aint too cheap neither

but you'd all want it if it was a jar of pus.

oh i never said it wasn't cool. it kind of looks like a weeble wobble with a butt in it's mouth

i wouldnt like that in my house though. and i don't like the jars of pus. something about a weird little thing living in a jar is creepy and gross. i'd think it would come get me while i'm sleeping or something.

Missy, these aren't "vintage," but Yujin has actually been putting out little human anatomy gashapon figures:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/07/20/mi ... mical.html

They're really wild, you can pop the fetus out of the uterus and everything. Here's an overpriced set on eBay, you can probably do better than $50 if you want them:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0086523954

And then there's this:

http://patrickmacias.blogs.com/er/2005/ ... hakey.html

oh yeah. I saw these w/ ramos at a weird comic store by his house. hahaa. i love them.

That smoking doll/fetus combo in the jar is weird in so many ways. Gives me the creeps.

Missy, are you familiar with the writer David Sedaris? I wouldn’t be surprised if you are; first of all, as an aside, his stuff is fucking hilarious; the reason I mention him here, tho, is that he collects such models, and I actually heard a segment on This American Life a while back where he spoke about his favorite place in Paris (where he resides) to get them. Apparently, this shop sells handmade, beautifully detailed oversize papier-mache body parts and organs, and Sedaris said they’re amazingly artful and high-quality.

I know that’s not much to go on, but I know I was really intrigued to hear him talk about them…might be another interesting lead for you to investigate in this realm.

Good luck!

When I was in Japan, Kiddyland in Harajuku had gatchapon machines full of visible animals. Too cool:

I believe that Kurt Cobain also collected these. It was one of the first times that I realized that utilitarian items could be art in the right eyes. I saw someone on here has a few next to their KAWS models. brilliant!

There use to be a store in New York called Maxilla and Mandible that sold lots of stuff like this...not sure if it is still around but I thought I'd mention it.

>I'm finding them online but they are $$$
I think you will find that most of this stuff, when it can be found, is expensive.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/anatomy/h ... _main.html

I found some info here about the papier mache ones. they do look amazing.

Screw the papier mache ones. You can't play with them in the tub.

I am in school for medical assisting. I will see if they have anything that they no longer use.

Heh heh..I got the chicken and the Fugu fish at Kiddyland.

A bit astray of topic, if you're ever in Firenze / Florence, Italy, be sure to check out the Institute and Museum of the History of Science. They have stunning wax anatomy cross-sections from the eighteenth century, mostly obstretic (among other world treasures like Galileo's scientific instruments.)

http://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/museum/esim.asp?c=500023

As I understand vintage medical models tend to be very, very pricey, but it sounds like missy already knows that. They sure are cool. I know a couple of obsessives on this stuff ... I'll ask if they know of any good-deal sources.

For new models try:
http://www.anatomical.com or http://www.carolina.com

For older stuff try searching auction sites for old pharmaceutical premiums. I have few from the 60s that a family friend who worked for Merck gave me when I was a little kid. You can also build your own model kits - I believe they still make the Visible Man, Woman, Heart, Eye, etc. The you can give the organs the Kaws treatment.

If you just want to look: in Philly you of course have the Mutter Museum at the College of Physicians which is outstanding. Also there is an amazing display of rare French wax moulages of skin conditions made in the 1800s. They are at the Department of Dermatology clinics at U Penn Hospitals. They will let you look if you ask.

I wish I'd have saved the life-size female torso I used to have. I used it train drug reps.

I have a really cool 1880's dentists rebuilt tooth sample case full of teeth that have various crowns etc. on red velvet. its dreamy.

That is incredibly creepy!

My dad is a retired dentist... he has all sorts of weird stuff. He turned his autoclave into a table lamp.

Hi Missy -

I'm the guy with the anatomical models next to the kaws dissecteds. the link from yiminy is the right one (I got mine in store from an amazing place here in Ft. Lauderdale called Tate's www.tatescomics.com - i was there on Saturday and they've got some in stock). but they originally come from Anatomical Supply Company (but i think tate's is cheaper). The woman is called "sweet sue" and the guy is called "dapper dan" Anatomical Supply also has some amazing - and inexpensive animal anatomical models (tate's carries these too). The cool thing about Dan and Sue is that they look vintage but are new models made in China.

You can also search ebay - you can find them there but the vintage, nice ones go for big $.

Also, check out this guy's site - he's got absolutely mind blowing vintage educational and science models for sale with prices to match!

http://www.radio-guy.net/index.html

Maxible and Mandible is cool but way expensive!

I have the book that is the catalog of that museum.
It's called 'Encyclopaedia Anatomica' and it's totally gross and beautiful.
Published by TASCHEN, ISBN 3-8228-7613-5
It's a really fat book, with page after page of unsettlingly graphic wax pieces.