Descriptive Summary

Title:	Ahlfeld, Johann Friedrich. Collection of Drawings of Medical Deformities
Dates:	circa 880
Size:	2.75 linear feet (6 boxes0
Repository:	Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.
Abstract:	Dr. Johann Friedrich Ahlfeld’s collection contains drawings of various medical deformities. The drawings are replications of illustrations found in two volumes containing 49 total plates.

Information on Use

Access

The collection is open for research.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Ahlfeld, Johann Friedrich. Collection of Drawings of Medical Deformities, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Biographical Note

Johann Friedrich Ahlfeld was born on October 16, 1843 in Alseben an der Saale, Province Sachsen, Germany. He studied gynecology and obstetrics in Greifswald, Vienna, Tübingen, and Leipzig, where he was an assistant of Carl Sigmund Franz Crede (1819-1892). Ahlfeld was conferred doctor of medicine on 22 February, 1868. He became professor of midwifery in Leipzig, and then relocated to Giessen. There, he was professor of obstetrics and director of the midwifery teaching institution. Ahlfeld moved to Marburg in 1883 where he served as professor of obstetrics and director of the Royal School of Midwifery. He was named privy medical counselor in 1894 and retired from teaching in 1909.

Ahlfeld is the namesake of several medical terms: Ahlfeld’s manipulation, an external manipulation to push out the placenta which minimizes blood loss; Ahlfeld’s sign I, an irregular uterine contraction after the third month of pregnancy; and Ahlfeld’s sign II, a slight loosening of the placenta.

Ahlfeld died on May 25, 1929 in Marburg, Germany.

Scope Note

This collection contains drawings and photographs of various medical deformities.

Series I and II contain replications of illustrations found in two volumes containing 49 total plates. The volumes, entitled Atlas zu Die Missbildungen des Menschen, are held in the SCRC Rare Books collection (call # fQM691.A3). The drawings and illustrations are also associated with Ahlfelds’ book, Die Missbildungen des Menschen (call# ffQM691.A3). The illustrations depict abnormalities of a wide variety of body parts but most convey conjoined twins, or deformed genitalia or heads. Within the volumes, the illustrations are about four square inches in size; there are between 12 and 22 illustrations per page. The accompanying drawings are of individual illustrations from the volumes. Approximately three-quarters of the illustrations are replicated by drawings. Drawings of illustrations from the same page in the volume are grouped together. Several of the illustrations are accompanied by more than one drawing. Some of the drawings appear to be originals and others have been cut from a published piece.

Series III, Ephemera and Photographs contains illustrations that depict abnormalities, mostly those of conjoined twins, deformed genitalia, and heads. The illustrations are arranged according to the number written on each. This number may be associated with a past exhibition of Ahlfled’s drawings and illustrations. The photographs are of women during labor, infants, and other abnormalities.

Related Resources

Browse finding aids by topic.

Subject Headings

• Ahlfeld, Johann Friedrich, 1843-1929
• Abnormalities, Human
• Gynecology
• Labor (Obstetrics)
• Obstetrics
• Pregnancy
• Twins
• Twins, Conjoined

INVENTORY

Series I: Drawings from Atlas zu Die Missbildungen des Menschen, Volume 1

Box 1   Folder 1

Table 1, Items 2-8, 10

Box 1   Folder 2

Table 2, Items 1, 3, 5, 7-10

Box 1   Folder 3

Table 3, Items 1-14

Box 1   Folder 4

Table 4, Items 1-3, 6-8, 10, 11

Box 1   Folder 5

Table 5, Items 2-8

Box 1   Folder 6

Table 6, Items 1-12

Box 1   Folder 7

Table 7, Items 1, 3-4, 7-10

Box 1   Folder 8

Table 8, Items 4, 5, 7-9

Box 1   Folder 9

Table 9, Items 1-12

Box 1   Folder 10

Table 10, Items 1, 2, 4-6, 8-11

Box 1   Folder 11

Table 11, Items 1-10

Box 1   Folder 12

Table 12, Items 1-12

Box 1   Folder 13

Table 13, Items 1-10

Box 1   Folder 14

Table 14, Items 2-8, 11, 12

Box 1   Folder 15

Table 15, Items 1-4, 8-10, 12, 13

Box 1   Folder 16

Table 16, Items 1-11

Box 1   Folder 17

Table 17, Items 1-11

Box 1   Folder 18

Table 18, Items 1-9

Box 1   Folder 19

Table 19, Items 1-11

Box 1   Folder 20

Table 20, Items 1-12, 14-21

Box 1   Folder 21

Table 21, Items 1, 5, 6, 13

Box 1   Folder 22

Table 22, Items 5, 8-10

Box 1   Folder 23

Table 23, Items 1-21

Box 1   Folder 24

Table 24, Items 1-3, 5-10

Series II: Drawings from Atlas zu Die Missbildungen des Menschen, Volume 2

Box 1   Folder 25

Table 25, Items 1, 2, 4-12

Box 1   Folder 26

Table 26, Items 1, 3-21

Box 1   Folder 27

Table 27, Items 1-17

Box 1   Folder 28

Table 28, Items 1-9, 15, 17

Box 2   Folder 1

Table 29, Items 1-5, 7-20

Box 2   Folder 2

Table 30, Items 1-10, 12-17

Box 2   Folder 3

Table 31, Items 1-4, 6, 13-15

Box 2   Folder 4

Table 32, Items 1-10, 14-17

Box 2   Folder 5

Table 33, Items 1, 4-14, 16

Box 2   Folder 6

Table 34, Items 1, 4, 5, 8-10, 12, 13, 16, 17

Box 2   Folder 7

Table 35, Items 1, 3, 5-9, 12, 15, 16, 18

Box 2   Folder 8

Table 36, Items 1-5, 10-12, 15, 16, 18-22

Box 2   Folder 9

Table 37, Items 1, 3-6, 10-14, 16, 20

Box 2   Folder 10

Table 38, Item 8

Box 2   Folder 11

Table 39, Items 6, 9, 10

Box 2   Folder 12

Table 40, Items 1, 2, 15, 16, 19-21

Box 2   Folder 13

Table 42, Item 8

Box 2   Folder 14

Table 43, Items 1, 9, 11-15

Box 2   Folder 15

Table 44, Items 4, 6-8, 10, 11

Box 2   Folder 16

Table 45, Items 1-11, 20

Box 2   Folder 17

Table 46, Items 1-4, 16, 18

Box 2   Folder 18

Table 47, Items 1-6, 8, 9, 11, 13-16, 17, 21, 22

Box 2   Folder 19

Table 48, Items 15, 19, 20

Box 2   Folder 20

Table 49, Items 3, 7, 15, 20, 21

Box 2   Folder 21

Unidentified-Conjoined Twins

Box 2   Folder 22

Unidentified-Conjoined Twins

Box 3   Folder 1

Unidentified-Genitalia

Box 3   Folder 2

Unidentified-Head

Box 3   Folder 3

Unidentified-Misc (1 of 4)

Box 3   Folder 4

Unidentified-Misc (2 of 4)

Box 3   Folder 5

Unidentified-Misc (3 of 4)

Box 3   Folder 6

Unidentified-Misc (4 of 4)

Series III: Ephemera and Photographs

Box 4   Folder 1

Illustration1

Box 4   Folder 2

Illustration 2

Box 4   Folder 3

Illustration 7

Box 4   Folder 4

Illustration15

Box 4   Folder 5

Illustration 16

Box 4   Folder 6

Illustration 22a

Box 4   Folder 7

Illustration 22c

Box 4   Folder 8

Illustration 23

Box 4   Folder 9

Illustration 23a

Box 4   Folder 10

Illustration 24

Box 4   Folder 11

Illustration 25

Box 4   Folder 12

Illustration 33

Box 4   Folder 13

Illustration 35

Box 4   Folder 14

Illustration 36

Box 4   Folder 15

Illustration 37

Box 4   Folder 16

Illustration 38

Box 4   Folder 17

Illustration 39

Box 4   Folder 18

Illustration 40

Box 4   Folder 19

Illustration 41

Box 4   Folder 20

Illustration 42

Box 4   Folder 21

Illustration 43a

Box 4   Folder 22

Illustration 44

Box 4   Folder 23

Illustration 45c

Box 4   Folder 24

Illustration 46

Box 4   Folder 25

Illustration 47

Box 4   Folder 26

Illustration 56

Box 4   Folder 27

Illustration 56a

Box 4   Folder 28

Illustration 58

Box 4   Folder 29

Illustration 59

Box 4   Folder 30

Illustration 60

Box 4   Folder 31

Illustration 62

Box 4   Folder 32

Illustration 64

Box 4   Folder 33

Illustration 66

Box 4   Folder 34

Illustration 70

Box 4   Folder 35

Illustration 74

Box 4   Folder 36

Illustration 78

Box 4   Folder 37

Illustration 82

Box 4   Folder 38

Illustration 90

Box 4   Folder 39

Illustration 91

Box 4   Folder 40

Illustration 92

Box 4   Folder 41

Illustration 93

Box 4   Folder 42

Illustration 94

Box 4   Folder 43

Illustration 95b

Box 4   Folder 44

Illustration 104

Box 4   Folder 45

Illustration 107

Box 4   Folder 46

Illustration 108

Box 4   Folder 47

Illustration 116

Box 4   Folder 48

Illustration 120

Box 4   Folder 49

Illustration 123

Box 4   Folder 50

Illustration 138c

Box 4   Folder 51

Illustration 138d

Box 4   Folder 52

Illustration 142

Box 4   Folder 53

Illustration 146

Box 4   Folder 54

Illustration 150

Box 4   Folder 55

Illustration 155

Box 4   Folder 56

Illustration 157

Box 4   Folder 57

Illustration 163

Box 4   Folder 58

Illustration 166b

Box 4   Folder 59

Illustration 172

Box 4   Folder 60

Illustration 174

Box 4   Folder 61

Illustration 175

Box 4   Folder 62

Illustration 176a

Box 4   Folder 63

Illustration 176b

Box 4   Folder 64

Illustration 177a

Box 4   Folder 65

Illustration 184

Box 4   Folder 66

Illustration 190

Box 4   Folder 67

Illustration 192

Box 4   Folder 68

Illustration 198

Box 4   Folder 69

Illustration 200

Box 4   Folder 70

Illustration 205

Box 4   Folder 71

Illustration 220

Box 4   Folder 72

Illustration 224

Box 4   Folder 73

Illustration 232a

Box 4   Folder 74

Illustration 232b

Box 4   Folder 75

Illustration 232d

Box 5   Folder 1

Illustration 234

Box 5   Folder 2

Illustration 235

Box 5   Folder 3

Illustration 237a

Box 5   Folder 4

Illustration 237c

Box 5   Folder 5

Illustration 265

Box 5   Folder 6

Illustration 271

Box 5   Folder 7

Illustration 273

Box 5   Folder 8

Illustration 288

Box 5   Folder 9

Illustration 290

Box 5   Folder 10

Illustration 299

Box 5   Folder 11

Illustration 300

Box 5   Folder 12

Illustration 304

Box 5   Folder 13

Illustration 320

Box 5   Folder 14

Illustration 321a

Box 5   Folder 15

Illustration 325

Box 5   Folder 16

Illustration 326

Box 5   Folder 17

Illustration 327

Box 5   Folder 18

Illustration 328a

Box 5   Folder 19

Illustration 338

Box 5   Folder 20

Illustration 366

Box 5   Folder 21

Illustration 379

Box 5   Folder 22

Illustration 383

Box 5   Folder 23

Illustration 384

Box 5   Folder 24

Illustration 388a

Box 5   Folder 25

Illustration 391

Box 5   Folder 26

Illustration 396

Box 5   Folder 27

Illustration 400

Box 5   Folder 28

Illustration 401

Box 5   Folder 29

Illustration 403a

Box 5   Folder 30

Illustration 404

Box 5   Folder 31

Illustration 408b

Box 5   Folder 32

Illustration 456

Box 5   Folder 33

Illustration 508

Box 5   Folder 34

Illustration 570

Box 5   Folder 35

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 36

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 37

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 38

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 39

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 40

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 41

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 42

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 43

Illustration, Unidentified

Box 5   Folder 44

Photographs

Box 6   Folder 1

Illustration 12

Box 6   Folder 2

Illustration, Unidentified