| Administrative History | The Popular Lecture in Anatomy was initiated by Professor Robert Reid in 1891. He devised a short lecture series on the structure and function of the human body, directed towards members of the public who had no prior knowledge of anatomy and limited experience of formal education. His lectures, which were held in the Anatomy Classroom at Marischal College on Saturday evenings during January and February, appear to have proved popular with all: contemporary newspaper reports record large crowds at each lecture, a high proportion of women in attendance and frequent applause punctuating each of his main points.
The Anatomy Museum and Laboratory were open to the public for one hour before and half an hour after each lecture; and students given the option of sitting an exam at the end of each series, for which they were awarded a certificate of merit. There was no fee to pay, the entire cost being borne by Professor Reid.
These lectures were organised along similar lines to lectures that had been delivered by Reid in London, in connection with the London University Extension Scheme. For further details on the background to these lectures see Reid's introduction to his first John Farquhar Thomson Lecture, 15 January 1921 (MS 3753/2/5). |
| Description | Lecture notes, newspaper cuttings and related papers for Reid's Popular Lectures in Anatomy, sessions 1890 - 1891, 1892 - 1893, 1895 - 1896, 1899 - 1900, 1901 - 1902. See catalogue entries for each session for further details. |