1 Royal Circus
Edinburgh
EH3 6TL
Sunday 10th August 2014.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
A day of lectures and events, in association with Hendrick’s Carnival of Knowledge, to commemorate the grisly exploits of William Burke and William Hare, who in 1828 murdered 16 people and sold their corpses for dissection. Featuring talks on bodysnatching, the art of anatomy, the criminal mind, murder ballads and medical Edinburgh. All tickets include one delightful Hendrick’s cocktail. Full schedule below:
Burke and Hare Salon I
THE ANATOMY OF MURDER
13: 00 – 14:30
The Anatomy of Murder. With the increase in anatomy Schools in the 18th century, a growing demand for bodies for dissection provided ideal conditions for the infamous Resurrection Men (body snatchers). But Edinburgh’s Burke and Hare, in their eagerness to provide Dr Robert Knox with fresh subjects for his commercial public dissections, took matters into their own bloody hands and cut out the middle man in this morbid market.
Join JELENA BEKVALAC curator of Osteology at The Museum of London and PROFESSOR GORDON FINDLATER curator of Edinburgh’s museum of anatomy to hear the background of Scotland’s most prolific serial killers.
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Burke and Hare Salon II
THE PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER
16:00 – 17:30
Portrait of a Serial Killer. Serial killers walk unseen amongst us. Propelled into celebrity, caricature and myth by their crimes and extraordinary trials, they previously often lead humdrum lives. But what characteristics allow certain individuals to so casually kill their fellows? Although Burke was described as a “cool, calculating, callous and unrelenting villain” and Hare “the most brutal man ever”, up until their capture, they, their lovers and accomplices were reasonably well regarded Edinburgh citizens.
Join playwright / psychotherapist and author of a play on Burke and Hare CAROLINE DUNFORD and criminal psychologist DR GISLI GUDJONSSON CBE to explore the nature of the men, and women, behind the death masks.
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Burke and Hare Salon III
THE THEATRE OF DISSECTION
18:30 – 20:00
The Theatre of Dissection. The nineteenth century marked a golden age of death in art. DR RICHARD BARNETT of the Wellcome Trust, tells the story of a revolution in medical art, one built for the most part on the dead bodies of the poor, and discuss the challenges in bringing these sometimes disturbing images to a wider audience.
‘Burke’s the Butcher, Hare’s the Thief.’ Journalist and broadcaster PAUL SLADE discusses the nineteenth century ‘murder ballads’ written on Burke & Hare’s exploits, including Daft Jamie, the tale of the fate of one of their victims. The talk will also include a live performance of some of these contemporary ditties.
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ELSEWHERE DURING THE DAY:
Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Workshop with Margot Magpie – 14:00 – 18:00
Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Workshop with MARGOT MAGPIE. Dabble in dissection and preservation as part of Burke and Hare Day. This workshop will introduce students to the process and techniques behind basic taxidermy. Students will learn how to skin, prep, preserve, mount and position the animal. They can choose to pose their mount in a naturalist setting but they will also be introduced to the art of anthropomorphism, the attribution of human characteristics to animals, plants or non-living things. Please note all mice are ethically sourced and were not killed specifically for these workshops. They were bred as feeder animals for snakes and lizards.
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The Art of Voodoo
In 1836 seventeen tiny dolls were unearthed by an Edinburgh schoolboy in a cave near Arthur’s Seat. Their number and likenesses corresponded to the victims of Burke & Hare’s murderous spree. To this day no one knows who made the dolls or why, but many believe them to be linked with black magic. In this workshop, artist and seamstress JESS BREWER will create a bespoke voodoo doll for each participant, which will bear the likeness and appropriate curses for someone they wish to hex (but bear in mind that voodoo dolls can be used to confer blessings as well as maledictions).
FREE EVENT