Orson Fowler (Class of 1834) and Henry Ward Beecher (Class of 1834) became fascinated with the "science" of phrenology, the study of the conformation of the skull as indicative of character traits and mental faculties. Though Beecher had his bumps analyzed, it was Fowler who went on to practice, write and publish on phrenology and health. This plaster bust, made in the mid-19th century, illustrates how an individual's personality and characteristics were identified by reading and interpreting the specific bumps and their location on the head.

This worn bust still has intact some of the tags identifying the characterstics represented by the bumps: "Benevolence," "Marvellousness," "Veneration," "Alimentiveness," etc.

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