Towne's Wax Teaching Models

This month sees the centenary of the death of Joseph Towne, wax modeller of world renown. Born in the small English village of Royston, Hertfordshire, his skills were recognized when he came to London at the age of 17 with his first important work, a miniature skeleton in wax (Figure 1). Towne made the acquaintance of the eminent surgeon, Sir Astley Cooper, who gave him a written testimonial verifying the accuracy of the model and a letter of introduction to a colleague of his at Guy's Hospital (World Medicine 1965). Thus started Towne's association with Guy's, which lasted for 53 years. During that time he fashioned some 50 anatomical models and about 650 dermatological ones, all outstanding for their realism, exquisite detail and brilliant colours (Figures 2, 3 and 4). The anatomical models owe much to John Hilton, an eminent surgeon at Guy's, whose book Rest and Pain is still widely read, while Towne's skin collection owes much to Thomas Addison, physician to Guy's.