Ever wondered what books you can find in special collections libraries? How about libraries on the history of medicine? This talk will dive into some a more unexpected discipline of medicine – medical astrology. Developed throughout the Renaissance Era of early-modern Europe, spanning roughly between the 14th and 16th centuries, medical astrology was by no means a fringe study of medical professionals. By the 1500’s, educational publications on medical astrology were widely available and used by medical practitioners at all levels of practice as resources and guides in their work. The popularity of the discipline during this time period is reflected in the numerous publications of the Historical Medical Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, many from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Candace Hesselbart is the Collections Management Librarian at the Historical Medical Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. With a BA in Geography & Anthropology and her MS in Information Science, her work background ranges from the excavation of archaeological sites to cataloging collections of early American pottery, to organizing the library and archival collections of a Victorian Era Historic home, and now, caring for a collection on the history of medicine here in Philly.