Phrenology was a pseudoscience based on the idea that a
person’s character could be discerned from the shape and unevenness of the head
or skull. Developed by Franz Joseph Gall, a German physician, in 1796, the
subsequent practice of phrenology became popular in the 19th
century, especially from 1810 to 1840.
Gall’s conclusions were based on the idea that the brain is
the organ of the mind and is composed of many distinct areas, each governing a
faculty of a man’s personality. So, the size of the organ was a measure of its
power and therefore the shape of the brain was determined by the development of
these various parts. As such, the surface of a skull could be read as an
accurate index of psychological aptitudes and tendencies.
Phrenology was quite big in Britain but it was most successful
in America in the 1830s and 1840s. Many employers would demand a local
phrenologist to examine future-employees as a character reference, and this
practice was later extrapolated to the reformation of criminals.
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| American Institute of Phrenology, New York, 1893. |
Scientific proof of the efficacy of phrenology was in short
supply, however, with proponents highlighting only evidence that supported
their claims, while dismissing any findings that did not uphold the ‘truth’.
Visiting a phrenologist was similar to seeking advice from a psychic,
clairvoyant or astrologer, and the ignorant and gullible were especially susceptible
to claims made by these practitioners.
Phrenology, with its focus on personality and character, can
be separated from similar disciplines such as craniometry (the study of skull
size, weight, and shape) and physiognomy (the study of facial features).
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| A definition of phrenology circa 1895. |
