Mayo Clinic Wax Model / Medical Museum Virtual Show Tonight 3/18

For one night only, thanks to the Olmsted County History Center, the Mayo Clinic's Wax Models, some almost 100 years old, will be on display in a virtual show starting at 6PM Central. 

If you didn't know Mayo Clinic has a large collection of medical wax models, join the club. And then click HERE to buy $5 tickets for tonight's Wax Model and Medical Museum virtual tour BEFORE 5 PM (I know, short notice, but I just found out, too. I paid $5 and got one ticket free!).

The History Center of Olmsted County is hosting the event and they say if you were a kid doing a Mayo Medical Museum field trip up to the 1980's, you may have seen some of these.

"Created by in-house artists from c.1924 to 1983, they were used by Mayo physicians to illustrate medical conditions and surgical procedures at medical meetings around the country. This presentation will feature the history of the models and how they influenced the development of the Mayo Medical Museum in the mid- to late Twentieth Century. Tickets available until 5pm March 18, 2021. (Source)

Where have these wax models been? Mayo Clinic says,

Mayo has preserved its collection. For years, many of the more than 2,000 sculptures were on display at the Mayo Medical Museum, a popular destination for area school groups as well as patients and visitors. (One visitor even diagnosed his wife with a rare thyroid condition after seeing symptoms depicted on a model.)

When the museum closed in 1988, most of the models were put into storage, though several can still be seen in the Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. The rest are stored in Mayo's Archives and cared for by Koka, who sometimes receives requests from physicians who want to use a sculpture as part of a presentation. More recently, the models are being brought out for special exhibits and events. (Read the entire history of the wax models here)

As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

See more images (some too extreme for me to be comfortable sharing them here) by checking out amazing booklet in PDF form. Here's an example I can show...

Listen to James Rabe and Jessica Williams Weekday from 6 - 10 AM on Y-105 FM

More history? You bet. From all walks of life, including medical. Just scroll to the year you were born.