practical 'professor of phrenology 1840s-1870s; lectured in nearly every town in England (esp. in the Southeast and the Midlands) with some lecturing in Scotland and Ireland, largely in mechanics' insts; gave special instruction to the phrenology class at the Western Lit Inst, Leicester Sq, London, 1842; succeeded DEVILLE as London's leading practical phrenologist and plaster head caster; established London School of Phrenology/ London Phrenological Inst (Feb 1840), Strand (later Trafalgar Sq); maintained orthodox political and religious views; M PHREN ASSN, 1840; M ETHNOL SOC.
Works as Listed by Roger Cooter (1989)
309.1
— 309.1 [Prospectus of the] London Phrenological Institution. London: [printed 1 Feb, 1840]. Pp. 3. (Another, slightly different "Prospectus" in Combe Coll, NLS, is dated 25 Mar 1840.)
309.2
— 309.2 "On the head and character of Francois Courvoisier, the murderer of Lord Wm. Russell--Phrenological Association, Glasgow," PHREN J, 14 (1841): 57-9.
309.3
— 309.3 "On the Reputed Head of Oliver Cromwell," PHREN J, 17 (1844) 365-79.
309.4
— 309.4 Discussion on Phrenology... with Brewin Grant, 1849. [see GRANT, 1849]
309.5
— 309.5 Reply to Sir B. Brodie's Attack on Phrenology, in his 'Psychological Inquiries', being a lecture delivered at the Marylebone Institution. London: H. Bailliere, 1857. Pp. 40.
309.6
— 309.6 The Ethnological Society and Phrenology: a paper entitled 'Physiognomy Popular and Scientific' with Report of the Discussion. London: W. Tweedie, 1864. Pp. 24. (Strong attack on Sir David BREWSTER; present at the meeting were Luke BURKE, J. HUNT, and C. C. BLAKE.)
309.7
— 309.7 Phrenological Examination of Muller's Head from the Cast. London: single printed sheet, 14 Nov 1864. (Donovan had been granted permission to take a cast of Muller's head after the execution.)
309.8
— 309.8 A Handbook of Phrenology. London: Longmans & Co, 1870. Pp. 192. (Eng Cat indicates new edn, 1879 [3s 6d]).
309.9
— 309.9 "On the Brain in the Study of Ethnology [Abstract of paper read to the ETHNOL SOC 26 Apr 1870]," J Ethnol Soc, NS 2 (1870): 368.
Editorial Information
Identifier
309.
Type
Person
Source
Roger Cooter, Phrenology in the British Isles (1989)
PDF page
106
Printed page
101
Database ID
987
Original Transcription
309. DONOVAN, Cornelius (e1820-72), practical 'professor of phrenology 1840s-1870s; lectured in nearly every town in England (esp.
in the Southeast and the Midlands) with some lecturing in Scotland
and Ireland, largely in mechanics' insts; gave special instruction to
the phrenology class at the Western Lit Inst, Leicester Sq, London,
1842; succeeded DEVILLE as London's leading practical phrenologist
and plaster head caster; established London School of Phrenology/
London Phrenological Inst (Feb 1840), Strand (later Trafalgar Sq);
maintained orthodox political and religious views; M PHREN ASSN,
1840; M ETHNOL SOC.