UTICA — Did you know that in the 1840s many people believed that “reading” the shape of your head could tell you about your personality traits and mental state?

To find out more join the virtual program “Manifestations of the Mind: Phrenology in New York State” offered by the Oneida County History Center on Wednesday, June 15, at 5:30 p.m. To register for this free virtual program, go online to: www.oneidacountyhistory.org/programs.html.

While phrenology often merits only a footnote in modern examinations of social and medical history, it played an important role in how people regarded themselves and others during the formative years of the 1840s. Influencing topics as varied as courtship, employment, criminal justice, abolition, medicine, and suffrage, phrenology was intertwined throughout the everyday lives of many. The program will also examine the darker sides of the now-debunked concepts, exploring how people of color and indigenous populations were further disenfranchised by its teachings. 

Anne Clothier is director of education at the Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa. Her particular areas of interest are medical history and early photography.

For more information, contact the History Center at 315-735-3642 or go online to www.oneidacountyhistory.org.