George Combe lecturing on phrenology, portrayed with protuberances on his head. Coloured lithograph by L. Bump, 1826, after J. Lump.

The room is scattered with model heads, books and pictures, many of which are annotated

Gall claimed that there were 27 separate organs in the brain that corresponded to human faculties, 19 of which were shared with animals, including for instance, the instinct of reproduction that was located in the cerebellum. Combe, an Edinburgh lawyer, was the most prolific British phrenologist of the 19th century and among the first converts to phrenology. During the 1830s and 40s, Combe travelled extensively through Britain, Germany and the United States on phrenological tours. His most famous work, The constitution of man (1828) became one of the best-selling books of the 19th century and helped to spread his version of naturalism far and wide

London (St. Peters Alley, Corn Hill) : Published for the artist, September 1826.

1 print : chalk lithograph, with watercolour ; border 23.2 x 30.7 cm

Calves' heads and brains: or a phrenological lecture. ... J. Lump delt. ; L. Bump sc. Lettering continues with the lecturer's "Concluding address"

[State with lettering "Calves' heads and brains: or a phrenological lecture." in smaller letters].

Lump and Bump are of course pseudonyms. In the British Museum online catalogue (accessed 25 April 2013), this work is attributed to Henry Thomas Alken

British Museum, Catalogue of political and personal caricatures, vol. X, London 1952, no. 15158

Wellcome Collection 744161i