Antique Phrenology Bust with Fowler & Wells Labels, Circa 1860s-1880s

Plaster phrenology bust with "Phrenology" on the base and original printed paper labels, including the American Institute of Phrenology and a list of books sold by S.R. Wells & Co., publishers of the Fowler & Wells phrenological works. Phrenology claimed that character could be read from the shape of the skull and was hugely popular in 19th-century America. Shows wear, scuffs and label losses consistent with age.