Monthly Archives: April 2012

Dementia planning left too late – report

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Rates of dementia are set to triple in Australia by 2050 but people still aren’t doing enough to prepare for care, a new report warns.

In a discussion paper given to the state government, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW estimates the number of Australians diagnosed with dementia will rise from 280,000 to around 943,000 by 2050.

Of these, 303,500 people will be from NSW.

But despite the prevalence of the disease, the report said only 55 per cent of people in NSW have a will and less than 20 per cent of Australians have recorded their wishes for end-of-life care.

John Watkins, CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, said people were often leaving it too late, placing added burden of family and friends.

‘This is not a topic that we as a population generally like to talk about,’ he said in a statement.

‘And we know from our members that many don’t talk about it until it is too late.’

The report, which surveyed 77 carers, patients and service providers, found that people were confused about where to access information and didn’t understand the differences between legal documents, such as power of attorney or advance care directive.

‘These are consistent with what we hear from our clients and members in our day-to-day work,’ Mr Watkins said.

In response, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW has made many recommendations, including the need for a national awareness campaign promoting planning ahead.

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Dementia planning left too late – report

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Dementia statistics set to triple for Tamworth

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A DEMENTIA epidemic could be on the horizon for the northern region, as new figures suggest the number of people living with the condition will explode by 283 per cent within the next 40 years.

Statistics released today by Alzheimers Australia NSW predict the Tamworth electorate will have the greatest number of people with dementia in the region, and the 23rd highest prevalence in the state, by 2050.

In the Tamworth area, 1101 people have dementia a figure expected to rise by 218 per cent to 3504 in 2050.

The number of people with dementia in the Northern Tablelands is anticipated to grow from 1124 this year to 3030, an increase of 269 per cent.

Barwons population will have 2304 people living with dementia in 2050, a 257 per cent increase from this years figure of 897.

Across NSW, the number of people living with the condition is expected to more than triple, from about 95,000 to more than 300,000.

Alzheimers Australia NSW chief executive officer John Watkins said the trend was driven by demographic changes.

The general population in both the state and northern region was getting older, he said, so more people would develop the condition.

The older you get, the higher the chance you have of getting dementia, Mr Watkins said.

People who live to 85 have a one-in-four chance of getting dementia.

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Dementia statistics set to triple for Tamworth

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Time to act as dementia crisis looms, says report

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Alzheimer’s Australia is calling on the federal government to implement a national awareness campaign calling on all Australians to have a health care plan set in place for when they can no longer manage it themselves.

WITH dementia rates set to soar, it is imperative more Australians plan for when they can no longer manage their health care, end-of-life care, or financial affairs, a new report says.

Only about 55 per cent of Australians have a will, and an even smaller proportion have recorded their wishes in legally binding directives about nursing, guardianship, or power of attorney arrangements.

The report, by Alzheimer’s Australia, calls on the federal government to implement a national awareness campaign about planning.

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It also wants general practitioners to take a bigger role in providing patients, especially those in the early stage of dementia, with information about the importance of ”putting things in order” while they have the capacity to express their wishes.

The organisation wants to make it a condition of access to nursing homes, and some in-home aged care services, that such arrangements have been made.

”This is not a topic that we, as a population, generally like to talk about,” the chief executive of Alzheimer’s Australia, John Watkins, said. ”And we know from our members that many don’t talk about it until it’s too late.”

The report reveals a looming dementia epidemic for NSW, with the number of people with the condition set to increase from 95,000 to 303,500 by 2050. A separate analysis shows the electorates expected to be most affected include Tweed, Port Macquarie, Myall Lakes, Bega, Wyong and Port Stephens, with projected increases of up to 400 per cent.

Recent interviews with carers, people with dementia and service providers showed they did not understand the value of planning, did not know where to access information, and did not receive support from GPs and health professionals to do so, the report says.

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Time to act as dementia crisis looms, says report

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Dementia rates set to triple

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RATES of dementia are set to triple in Australia by 2050 but people still aren’t doing enough to prepare for care, a new report warns.

In a discussion paper given to the State Government, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW estimates the number of Australians diagnosed with dementia will rise from 280,000 to around 943,000 by 2050.

Of these, 303,500 people will be from NSW.

But despite the prevalence of the disease, the report said only 55 per cent of people in NSW have a will and less than 20 per cent of Australians have recorded their wishes for end-of-life care.

John Watkins, CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, said people were often leaving it too late, placing added burden of family and friends.

“This is not a topic that we as a population generally like to talk about,” he said. “And we know from our members that many don’t talk about it until it is too late.”

The report, which surveyed 77 carers, patients and service providers, found that people were confused about where to access information and didn’t understand the differences between legal documents, such as power of attorney or advance care directive.

“These are consistent with what we hear from our clients and members in our day-to-day work,” Mr Watkins said.

In response, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW has made many recommendations, including the need for a national awareness campaign promoting planning ahead.

The report comes as new figures from Deloitte Access Economics NSW released today found that the electoral divisions of Tweed, Port Macquarie and Myall Lakes will have the highest rates of dementia respectively in the state by 2050.

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Dementia rates set to triple

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Dementia Patients Still Facing a ‘Postcode Lottery’ on Treatment, Says Stephen McPartland MP

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Dementia Patients Still Facing a ‘Postcode Lottery’ on Treatment, Says Stephen McPartland MP

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Son’s Autism Forces Family to Leave Canada – Video

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMyXDSuee6k

27-03-2012 22:28 http://www.ctvvancouverisland.ca http UVIC — A popular professor at the University of Victoria is leaving his job and the country after his son’s medical condition lead to immigration problems. In 2010 Dr. Jeffrey Niehaus’ son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. His family was working to become Canadian citizens but the boy’s health condition proved to be a roadblock. In a letter from Immigration Canada, an officer told Dr. Niehaus his son was, “a person whose health condition might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services in Canada”. As a result, his application for permanent residency was denied. The University of Victoria hired a lawyer to appeal the decision but the effort fell short. In preparation of his work Visa expiring in November, Dr. Niehaus applied for jobs and accepted a position in Virginia. Despite wanting to keep the story from media, Dr. Niehaus says his family has made up its mind and is leaving. It’s why he is now content telling his story: “I’m much more comfortable with the idea that our story would be an example for people interested in how their own government works. People could use this as perhaps a way to have some positive influence going forward”. Dr. Niehaus says he’s not angry. In November he plans to take his family back to the United States where they will live permanently. Follow Joe Perkins on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com

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Diagnosis, screening behind rise in autism

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ATLANTA Autism cases are on the rise again, largely due to wider screening and better diagnosis, federal health officials said Thursday.

Don’t miss these Health stories

Where’s the one place you should never kiss a baby — or anyone else? The ear, according to a professor of audiology at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

The rate of U.S. cases of autism and related disorders rose to about 1 in 88 children. The previous estimate was 1 in 110.

The new figure is from the latest in a series of studies that have been steadily increasing the government’s autism estimate. This new number means autism is nearly twice as common as officials said it was only five years ago, and likely affects roughly 1 million U.S. children and teens.

Health officials attribute the increase largely to better recognition of cases, through wide screening and better diagnosis. But the search for the cause of autism is really only beginning, and officials acknowledge that other factors may be helping to drive up the numbers.

“We’re not quite sure the reasons for the increase,” said Coleen Boyle of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Autism is diagnosed by making judgments about a child’s behavior; there are no blood or biologic tests. For decades, the diagnosis was given only to kids with severe language and social impairments and unusual, repetitious behaviors. The definition of autism has gradually expanded, and “autism” is now shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions, including Asperger’s syndrome. Meanwhile, there’s been an explosion in autism-related treatment and services for children.

As in the past, advocacy groups seized on the new numbers as further evidence that autism research and services should get greater emphasis. The new figures indicate “a public health emergency that demands immediate attention,” said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks.

The CDC study released Thursday is considered the most comprehensive U.S. investigation of autism prevalence to date. Researcher gathered data from areas in 14 states Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin.

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Diagnosis, screening behind rise in autism

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Autism On The Rise: 5 Key Facts About The New Research

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The number of autism cases in the United States has reached one in every 88 children, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports. This is a 78 percent rise from ten years ago.

Autism is a developmental disorder that manifests itself in many ways. It is typically diagnosed in children between the ages of one and eight. Symptoms often — but not always — include slow language development, persistent fixations and difficulties with social interactions.

In part, the sharp increase in autism cases is due to the fact that awareness has grown, leading to more correct diagnoses. But it may also reflect an actual increase in the number of people affected by the disorder. “We’re not quite sure the reasons for the increase,” Coleen Boyle of the CDC, said to the Associated Press.

More research will determine what’s really behind the data — in the meantime, autism awareness advocacy groups are taking this opportunity to call attention to the disorder’s prevalence in society.

“The CDC numbers are alarming, yet they don’t begin to tell the story of the real families, real individuals struggling every day,” said Mark Roithmayr, president of Autism Speaks, in a statement on the organization’s website.

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Here are five facts about autism that shed light on the new research.

Diagnoses are not evenly spread across the board.

Autism is much more common in boys than in girls; a full five times as many males are affected by the disorder. In addition, certain states seem to have a preponderance of autism cases. The CDC study found that just one in 210 children in Alabama were affected, as opposed to 1 in 47 in Utah. And the biggest growth in diagnoses over the last few years was among black and Hispanic children. Of course, this may not suggest an actual difference between ethnicities or locations; it could be due instead to changes in medical practices in certain communities over the years.

The word ‘autism’ can mean many things.

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Autism On The Rise: 5 Key Facts About The New Research

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Heart attacks without chest pain more common than thought, especially among women

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by: PF Louis

The CDC reports that approximately 800,000 first time heart attacks occur annually. Ignoring iatrogenic deaths (death by medicine), heart disease is still the number one killer for both men and women.

However, the common perception of chest pain or discomfort as a signal that a heart attack is occurring are less than one normally thinks, especially among younger women under 45.

A study led by Dr. John Canto at the Watson Clinic in Lakeland, Florida, used medical records in a national database of heart attack patients from 1994 to 2006, covering around 1.1 million people treated at close to 2,000 hospitals.

Dr. Canto and his team reported their study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on February 21, 2012.

What was revealed is that chest pain is not necessarily the only indication of a heart attack. Dr. Canto used the term "atypical symptoms" to describe possible indications of a heart attack other than chest pain.

Atypical symptoms of a heart attack include numbness, unprovoked arm, jaw or back pain, sudden shortness of breath, weakness or fatigue, or unusual feelings of indigestion or nausea. Read more...

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Charity Soccer Tournament:

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The UA Women's Club Soccer Team, with the support of Campus Rec and Honors Student Council, is putting on a barefoot 3v3 charity soccer tournament to benefit Grassroot Soccer (GRS). All of the proceeds from this event will go straight to GRS--an awesome NGO that uses soccer as a platform to gather and educate kids in Sub-Saharan Africa about HIV/AIDS. Just $25 can provide one child with the knowledge and life-skills to remain HIV-free. Check out grassrootsoccer.org for more information about their work and success in Africa.
Come play in our 3v3 tournament on April 7 from 11-4 on the Mall to help the cause. It's only $10 to sign up or $20 gets you an awesome Grassroot Soccer dry fit jersey in addition to a spot in the tournament. Gather a team of up to 5 of your friends (3 players minimum) and come join the fun! No soccer experience is necessary!! There will be prizes for winners, music, and plenty of free food.
Sign up at: https://grassrootsoccer.wufoo.com/forms/university-of-arizona-3v3-soccer-tournament/
Visit the Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/events/324097504305121/
For more information feel free to contact Aubri Carman at acarman25@gmail.com.
Thanks for your support!

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Leica Microsystems Introduces Tissue IA 2.0* Quantitative Image Analysis Fluorescence and Brightfield Analysis for Digital Pathology

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This morning Leica announced the release of a new image analysis application desgined to integrate with their portfolio of the SCN400 scanner and Ariol technology.  Was able to get a sneak peek at this application recently and was impressed with ease of use and accuracy embedded within a complete digital pathology solution from scanning to archiving to viewing to image analysis.  

As frequent readers know, I consider image analysis a significant component of digital pathology.  The technology takes pathology to a place we have not enjoyed with conventional microscopy and often single stains on a single slides, usually immunohistochemistry-only or flourescent-stain alone.  

While effective, it limits interpretation largely to tumor biology rather than cellular biology. Image analysis allows for deconvoluting multiplex staining to ask very specific questions about particular cellular phenotypes rather than tumor phenotypes, and in return, answer some specific questions related to celliular behavior, clinical prognosis & enhance biomarker development and drug discovery.

Lessons learned from the HER2 experience, related therapy and known issues with processing, staining and interpretation I think have shown the need for image analysis for improved accuracy, consistency and reproducibility.

Wetzlar, Germany, March 30, 2012—Leica Microsystems announces the release of Tissue IA 2.0, high performance image analysis for discovery research. Combining fluorescence and brightfield analysis capabilities in a single platform, with precision cell modelling, Tissue IA 2.0 offers a superior solution for IHC biomarker quantification. Tissue IA 2.0 joins the Total Digital Pathology portfolio from Leica, providing streamlined end-to-end excellence in capture, management and analysis of digital pathology images.

Single screen no arrows Tissue IA 2 maskA major challenge in research today is retrieval of quantitative, reproducible data from tissue-based IHC studies. Tissue IA 2.0 provides expert tools for researchers to extract the most from their studies. Powerful color separation and multi-marker colocalization functionality provides advanced insight and unbiased measurement of multiple antigen immunostaining in brightfield or fluorescent samples. Sophisticated cell modelling accurately detects and quantifies differential expression of staining in cellular compartments, providing detailed insight into cytoplasmic, membrane and nuclear biomarker localization.

The advanced dual staining capabilities in Tissue IA 2.0 enable researchers to identify cell cohorts at the molecular level.  Use one marker to identify a population of interest and then quantify expression of a second, providing exceptional analysis performance and greater understanding of a user’s slides.  Algorithms are easily adjusted and optimized for different markers, tissue and protocols giving a flexible platform for drug discovery applications. 

Easy to deploy and easy to use, the Tissue IA web-accessible interface means that users can take their analysis with them wherever they go. With high throughput batch analysis capacity, Tissue IA 2.0 will process whole slides, regions of interest or tissue microarray cores, and automatically integrate analysis results with a user’s slides. A built-in upload interface facilitating integration of algorithms from 3rd party software solutions, gives greater flexibility to further expand analysis options.

Dr. Donal O’Shea, Head of Digital Pathology in Leica Microsystems, says:

“Mulitplexing is of growing importance in translational research and tools to help quantify the expression and location of multiple biomarkers concurrently in tissue are a real requirement.  TissueIA 2.0 delivers for the user through offering chromogenic and fluorescence quantification and co-localization, cell based histoscoring on multi-compartmental IHC staining and the power to include and exclude cell populations based on biomarker expression.  In conjunction with our SCN400 F and Ariol platforms, this further expands our Digital Pathology portfolio for the life science and clinical researcher and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to this area.”

Tissue IA 2.0, with its powerful, streamlined analysis, is the ideal choice for biomarker discovery and translational research. Its unique combination of flexibility, automation and ease-of-use make it an unparalleled tool for digital pathology research. To learn more about Tissue IA 2.0, please visit http://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/digital-pathology/analyze/details/product/tissue-ia/

Leica Microsystems will be at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2012, March 31 – April 4, Chicago, IL. Visit Leica at booth 4103 to experience our new image analysis solution for Digital Pathology.

*For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Leica Microsystems

Leica Microsystems is a leading global designer and producer of innovative, high-tech, precision optical systems for the analysis of microstructures. It is one of the market leaders in each of its business areas: Microscopy, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy with corresponding Imaging Systems, Specimen Preparation, and Medical Equipment. The company manufactures a broad range of products for numerous applications requiring microscopic imaging, measurement, and analysis. It also offers system solutions for life science including biotechnology and medicine, research and development of raw materials, and industrial quality assurance. The company is represented in over 100 countries with 16 manufacturing facilities in 9 countries, sales and service organizations in 19 countries and an international network of dealers. The global management is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany.

 

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Driving Mr. Albert to Philadelphia and beyond

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One of my all-time heroes as a child was Albert Einstein.  Regarded as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century if not civilization itself, he had an incredible personal story, professional triumphs and personal tragedies.  I used a quote of his to begin my essay for medical school: "“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

There are dozens of other great quotes attributed to him, including "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them" or "Logic will get you from A to B.  Imagination will take you everywhere".

Perhaps my favorite one is attributed to Einstein while helping a group of school-aged children with their math studies: "Do not worry about your difficulties with mathematicss; I can assure you mine are much worse".

Over 10 years ago a book was published entitled Driving Mr. Albert written in first person with someone who drove across America with Einstein's brain and the pathologist who for years had kept it in formalin. In addition for the trip, he talks about the problems associated with keeping wet tissue and the pathologists' problems, issues, paranoias and difficulties for doing so for decades.

Death_headlineEinstein died in 1955 at Princeton University due to a ruptured aortic aneurysm.  At the time he became ill he was offered surgery by a Dr. Nissen (I gather of Nissen fundoplication) to repair the aneurysm.  He refused.  The treatment offered to him at that time was a vascular graft, still experimental at the time, but an improvement over the standard therapy in early studies.  The other treatment was wrapping the aneurysm in saran wrap.  Grafts are standard of care today unless interventional radiology does it less invasively today by other means.

Anyways, looks like a trip to Britain is order as sections of the much talked about brain of Einstein will be on public display, news to me thanks to The Pathology Blawg.  Read more here.

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Daily Scan highlights of USCAP 2012 & Release of ePathViewer

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6a00d834203d1f53ef0168e9249711970c-800wiOnce again, Ole Eichorn, Aperio's Chief Technology Officer and The Daily Scan blogger put together a nice photo montage with captions and highlights from this years USCAP meeting exhibit floor.  In addition to showcasing Aperio's booth and products, Ole highlights many other companies, their products and how many other vendors are using digital pathology or services that tie into digital pathology.

Aperio also released their ePathViewer for iPad last week.  Was able to get a sneak peak at this from some Aperio folks earlier this month and is a must have for whole slide afficiendos. Reviewed some Juan Rosai collection slides as well as some SecondSlide cases with the app and despite a slow network the image refresh rate (and quality) were excellent (pre getting my iPad3 with HD display).

Below the screen shot below on the App Store you can also see other iPad viewers for viewing other whole slide images from Leica, Motic, Objective Pathology & large medical images with cool names like WholeSlide, iPathology and SlidePath.

Is was not so long ago that digital pathology relied upon being tethered to a desktop PC with enough RAM and bandwidth to view the images.  

No more.  Digital pathology is mobile!

The days of being tethered to your histology laboratory, your microscope and your laboratory information system (thanks to web-based LISs) are over.  

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Next-Generation Pathology – Webinar this Thursday

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Next-generation Pathology

Pathology faces increasing competition from the modern methods of molecular biology. Genomics and proteomics promise to provide unbiased, quantitative data revealing insights into origin and progression of disease. Will pathology need to change in order to defend its territory? Quite certainly. Should pathologists forget what they have learned over the centuries? I don’t think so.

It could be claimed that the basic pathological methods have changed too little since the invention of the light microscope. However, the basic reason to look at histological samples didn’t change either. The morphological details of heterogeneous tissue provided invaluable information well before genes and proteins were discovered. And they continue doing so ever since.

Genes and proteins are essential components of the molecular magic that brings about tissue morphology (among other things). No biological science can afford ignoring all we have learned about them in the recent past. At the same time, genetic fingerprints and protein profiles are mostly obtained from blood or homogenized tissue samples that lack the spatial dimension histology is all about.

Tissue slides reveal the complex interplay between different cellular populations, their gene expression levels and metabolic status. They thus are a more comprehensive readout of molecular dynamics than any molecular technique alone could ever provide. Pathological scores, though, are necessarily less comprehensive. They aim at reducing complexity in order to increase consistency. They are so successful at achieving the former, that the quantitative requirements of modern science are hardly met. Yet they often fail to establish the latter as inter-observer variation remains high.

Next generation pathology will need to integrate molecular techniques into the traditional framework of histology: the morphological complexity of heterogeneous tissue. The required methods are well established and they are now transforming pathology. Immunohistochemistry combines molecular information on protein levels with spatial context. Novel methods based on in situ hybridization are reaching the maturity required to complement the histological toolbox. One by one, IHC stains put proteins into context. SISH, CISH, FISH et al. now do the same with genes. These advances open another dimension to the information that can be derived from histological samples. The spatial dimensions can be complemented with molecular ones. And the molecular information can be added to the information residing in tissue instead of competing with it.

As usual, the next generation comes along with novel toys. Automated image analysis is required to capture the quantitative readouts promised by the molecular advances. In order to go beyond genomics and proteomics, pathological knowledge will have to be accounted for and it is thus essential to make the novel approaches available to pathologists. To get from toys to tools, automated image analysis solutions need to be straightforward enough to be used routinely by pathologists. At the same time, they need to be flexible enough to robustly cope with the heterogeneity of histological samples.

Tissue proteomics and tissue genomics should be the pathologist’s reply to the molecular challenge they face.

For more information on this, check out Definiens Webinar series, including one this Thursday entitled "Quantitative Digital Pathology Out-of-the-Box: Definiens Tissue Studio Combines Flexibility and Ease-of-Use with High Productivity". Click here to register.

Thursday March 29th, 2012

Get an introduction to the straigthforward configuration of image analysis solutions with Definiens Tissue Studio. With no more than a few clicks, you can assemble a solution that is adjusted to the specific properties of your tissue sample and that provides you with the quantitative readouts you require. Per region of interest. Per cell. Per cell compartment. Definiens Tissue Studio readily analyzes images from any solid tissue, stained with IHC, H&E or IF. 

Date: Thursday, March 29
Time: 4 pm CEST / 10am EDT / 7am PST

Click here to register.


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CBLPath Receives Approval From New York State Department of Health for XALKORI(R) Companion Diagnostic

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CBLPath recently announced it is one of a select few labs within the United States to offer Vysis(R) ALK Break Apart fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The Vysis ALK FISH test detects rearrangements in the ALK gene employing fluorescent probes to detect the presence or absence of specific DNA sequences.

Vysis ALK FISH is the only FDA-approved companion diagnostic for XALKORI(R) (crizotinib). XALKORI was recently approved under the FDA's priority review program for treatment of patients with late-stage NSCLC who have an abnormal ALK gene. XALKORI has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of ALK, thereby suppressing growth of NSCLC tumors.

"CBLPath is proud of the positive impact our work has on patients' lives," said Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Carlos D. Urmacher, FCAP, FASCP. "Keeping at the forefront of the latest technologies ensures our clients and their patients have access to the best therapies available. By receiving approval from New York State to run the Vysis ALK FISH test, we are able to help clinicians identify those patients who will benefit from treatment with XALKORI."

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer with approximately 170,000 new cases per year in the United States. Non-small cell lung cancer includes adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. There are a variety of treatment options for NSCLC, and a patient's success with any treatment option is dependent upon their genetic profile. About 1-7% of patients with NSCLC possess the ALK gene abnormality. These patients are typically young and non-smokers. Patients with the ALK mutation respond favorably to treatment with XALKORI.

XALKORI is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc. Vysis is a registered trademark of Abbott Laboratories.

Full press release.

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Call for Works for Congress of Curious Peoples Curiosity Vendors!

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To all makers, distributors, and artists of the arcane and the curious: this call for vendors for this year's just-posted-on Congress of Curious Peoples just in from Adam the Real Man of Coney Island USA:

Coney Island USA's Congress of Curious Peoples has a few vendor spots left!
The Congress of Curious Peoples is Coney Island USA's annual celebration of Oddity and Oddities. It begins with the Sideshow Hall of Fame induction event and continues with a 10-day series of performances and lectures on Curiosity and Curiosities, featuring notable faces from the sideshow world and talks by international scholars. The final weekend of the Congress includes a 2-day symposium and performances by some of Coney Island's most important sideshow stars.

Now in its 6th year, the Congress is meant to build a community of scholars, practitioners, vendors, and enthusiasts; centered around a field with its home in Coney Island. It is quickly expanding to become an important gathering of people who are interested in the past, present, and future of sideshows, dime museums, cabinets of curiosity, 19th and 20th century spectacular culture, and the obscure American performing arts that Coney Island USA is dedicated to preserving.

We expect between 500 and 1,000 individuals to pass through our doors in the course of events, and they are all committed aficionados of all things curious.

So if you're an artist who's work reflects the curious, the strange, the macabre, the bizarre and the wondrous and wishlike to be considered as a vendor, please contact congressvendors@gmail.com.

More on the event itself can be found here. Hope to see you there.

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Panoramas! Baroque TV Evangelism! Human Zoos! Frederik Ruysch! Religious Theatre! Announcing the 2012 Congress of Curious Peoples Lineup!

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I am SO very excited to (finally!) announce the lineup for this years' Congress of and for Curious Peoples, taking place this April 13-22 at Coney Island USA!

For those of you new to the concept, The Congress of Curious Peoples is a 10-day series of lectures and performances devoted to curiosity and curiosities broadly considered. If features sideshow acts, lectures, performances, and a 2-day scholarly-yet-popular symposium called The Congress for Curious Peoples, which is produced by The Morbid Anatomy Library in tandem with The Coney Island Museum.

This year's Congress for Curious Peoples symposium will feature panel discussions on such topics as pre-cinematic immersive amusements and religion as spectacle, while some of the featured speakers will be Sara Velas of The Velaslavasay Panorama; Paul Koudounaris of Empire of Death; an as-of-yet unnamed representative of the amazing Sleep No More; and Colin Dickey, author of Cranioklepty. Also featured will be stand-alone lectures on the 17th century artist of fetal skeleton tableaux Frederik Ruysch and the phenomenon of ethnographic displays called "human zoos," a screening of an over-the-top early 1970s TV Evangelist Christmas spectacular, and introductory lectures by myself and Coney Island Museum director Aaron Beebe.

Full lineup below; hope to see you at some--if not more--of the terrific events making up this year's Congress!

SYMPOSIUM: THE 2012 CONGRESS FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE
Saturday and Sunday, April 21st and 22nd

SATURDAY APRIL 21st

11:00 – 12:00: Keynote Addresses

12:00 – 1:00: Lunch

1:00 – 3:30: Immersive Amusements: Cosmoramas, Cycloramas and Panoramic Illusions: Panel discussion moderated and introduced by Aaron Beebe, The Coney Island Museum

4:00 – 5:00: The Business of the Dead: Frederik Ruysch as an Entrepreneurial Anatomist, Lecture by Daniel Margocsy, Hunter College

5:00: Christmas in America: Miss Velma and the Evangelist Spectacle: Screening of “Christmas in America,” an early 1970s television special by Miss Velma, early TV evangelist, introduced by Daniel Paul

SUNDAY APRIL 22

11:00 – 1:00: Religion and Spectacle: A panel with discussion moderated and introduced by Joanna Ebenstein, Morbid Anatomy Library

1:00 – 2:30: Lunch and Sideshow Visit

2:30 – 3:30: Traveling Ethnographic Shows and Human Zoos, a lecture by Elizabeth Bradley

3:30 – 5:30: Theater Rethunk: An Alternative History of the Theatrical: A panel with discussion moderated and introduced by Chris Muller

And now, for the full 10-day Congress Schedule:

Friday, April 13
Opening Night Party featuring The Lizard Man and the annual inductions into the Sideshow Hall of Fame.

Saturday, April 14
Alumni Weekend at Sideshows by the Seashore (Continuous Admission, Tickets at the door); Colonnade of Curiosities in the Freak Bar.

Sunday, April 15
Alumni Weekend at Sideshows by the Seashore (Continuous Admission, Tickets at the door); Colonnade of Curiosities in the Freak Bar

Monday April 16th
7:30 – (Lecture) Amy Herzog: Architectural Fictions: Economic Development, Immersive Renderings, and the Virtualization of Brooklyn
9:00 – (Performance) Shea Love and the Circus Emporium

Tuesday April 17th
7:30 – (Lecture) Philip Kadish: “Pinhead Races and the White Man’s Burden”
9:00 – (Performance) The Squidling Bros Sideshow

Wednesday April 18th
7:30 -(Lecture/Performance) ‘An Evening of Fate, Chance and Mystery’ with Lord Whimsy and Les the Mentalist
9:00 – (Performance) Jo Boobs

Thursday April 19th
7:30 – (Lecture/Performance) Erkki Huhtamo: “Mareorama Revisited”
9:00 – (Performance) The Curious Couple from Coney Island

Friday April 20th
7:30 – (Performance/Reading) “Venus,” a play by Suzan Lori Parks
9:00 – (Performance/Lecture) Sideshow Legend Jim Rose

Saturday April 21st
Super Freak Weekend at Sideshows by the Seashore (Continuous Admission, Tickets at the door); Colonnade of Curiosities in the Freak Bar
Congress For Curious People (Day 1 of a 2-day Symposium)

Sunday April 22nd
Super Freak Weekend at Sideshows by the Seashore (Continuous Admission, Tickets at the door); Colonnade of Curiosities in the Freak Bar
Congress For Curious People (Day 2 of a 2-day Symposium)

Tickets for the symposium are available here; for tickets to individual events and lectures, click here; 10-day Congressional Passes--which provide access to all events!--are available here. All events take place at 1208 Surf Avenue in Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York; you can map it here. See you there!!!

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The Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences Celebrates its Illustrious and Incredible Collection and History in Two New Exhibitions and a Book!

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In the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries, when natural history was still called philosophy and most naturalists were amateurs, collectors would create what they called cabinets of curiosities — accumulations of animal, vegetable, mineral and anthropological specimens to amaze and amuse.

Often these collections grew large enough to occupy entire rooms, or even buildings. In some cases, they turned out to be precursors of modern museums.

In a way, that was the kind of project seven Philadelphia men embarked on in 1812, when they rented premises over a millinery shop, gathered a few preserved insects, some seashells and not much more, and created the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia...

--"Cupboards of Curiosities Spill Over," Cornelia Dean, The New York Times

The Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences has a lot going for it. It is the oldest natural science research institution and natural history museum in the New World, with a history stretching back to 1812. It boasts the Titian R. Peale Butterfly and Moth Collection, a lot of nearly 100 glass boxes containing said insects arranged in pleasingly geometric patterns by Titian Peale, son of painter and first American museologist Charles Willson Peale (see 4th image down). It boasts fossils collected by American president and Declaration of Independence author Thomas Jefferson. It also houses an incredibly vast and utterly astounding collection of natural history artifacts, books, taxidermy, skeletons, wet specimens and more. More's the pity, then, that you would never suspect the quality and breadth of this collection by its public face, which gives one the impression that The Academy is merely a bland, second-rate natural history museum aimed at easily distractable children.

I am very pleased to report, then, that the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences has used the pretext of its 200th birthday to right this wrong, and make visible its illustrious history and mind-bogglingly gorgeous collection through 2 new exhibitions--both now on view--and a new nearly 500-page luxurious book. One exhibition--"The Academy at 200: The Nature of Discovery"--displays rarely viewed specimens and artifacts from the museum stores. "Everything Under the Sun," a second exhibition, features luminous photographs by the amazing Rosamond Purcell of a variety of the incredible artifacts and specimens hidden backstage. The associated book is entitled A Glorious Enterprise: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Making of American Science and features Rosamond Purcell's lavish color photographs.

Above is an excerpt from The New York Times' review of the book and exhibitions; you can read the entire piece and see the photographic sideshow (from which the above images are drawn) by clicking here and here, respectively. You can find out more about the book “A Glorious Enterprise"--and purchase a copy of your very own--by clicking here. You can find out more about the exhibitions by clicking here and here.

Thanks so much to friend and Morbid Anatomy Art Academy Instructor Marie Dauhiemer for sending this along!

Images top to bottom: All by Rosamond Purcell drawn from the New York Times slide show, and presumably featured in the book and exhibition:

  1. A spider crab (Libina canaliculata), collected by Joseph Leidy in Atlantic City.
  2. Black-backed kingfishers (Ceyx erithancus), collected by the ornithologist Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee in Siam (now Thailand), 1937-38.
  3. Cone shells collected for the museum from Tanzania, Dutch New Guinea and the Palau Islands by A.J. Ostheimer III during the 1950s.
  4. A selection from the butterfly and moth collection of Titian R. Peale, a noted 19th century entomologist.
  5. A Ruby-cheeked Sunbird from Borneo, given to the Academy by Thomas B. Wilson in 1846.

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Comparative Anatomy: Animals and the Fundamentals of Drawing Weekend Workshop with Chris Muller, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, May 5 & 6, Observatory

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Very much hope to see you at this newly announced class, the latest addition to the Morbid Anatomy Art Academy series I am organizing at Observatory!

Comparative Anatomy: Animals and the Fundamentals of Drawing Weekend Workshop
A weekend workshop with Chris Muller, NYU's Tisch School of the Arts
Dates: Saturday May 5 & Sunday May 6
Time: 1 - 4 PM
Fee: $75 (includes museum admission)
*** Class size limited to 15; Must RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Using animal and human anatomy as a jumping off point, this course will look at the ground-level, first principles of drawing as representation. Focusing mainly on mammal anatomy, we’ll look at the basic shared forms between humans and other animals, how these forms dictate movement, and how to express those forms.

Saturday’s class will be held at Observatory, where with the aid of several skeletons we’ll look at basic structures, sprinkling our exploration with odd facts and observations. Messy investigatory drawings will ensue.

Sunday’s class will be a field trip to the American Museum of Natural History, where applying the principles of Saturday’s class we’ll create beautiful drawings of the animals on display. Then, mastery attained, we will stride forth into the world, better artists and better people.

Materials

Saturday

  • Sketchbook or sketchpad, 11 X 14 or larger
  • B and HB pencils
  • Colored pencils, in the reds and blues and browns
  • Hand pencil sharpener
  • Erasers

Sunday

  • All of the above, with perhaps a portable sketchbook in place of the larger sketchpad
  • Portable folding stool (optional)

Chris Muller is an artist and exhibit designer based in Brooklyn. He has designed exhibits for the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum for African Art, the Children's Museum of Manhattan, and many others. He has designed sets for Laurie Anderson, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, the Atlantic Theater Company, and others. He teaches drawing and digital painting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

You can find out more here; you can RSVP by emailing me at morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com. You can find out more about the Morbid Anatomy Art Academy by clicking here.

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