Gray's Anatomy 1858

Today, 13^th June, is the anniversary of Henry Gray’s death from smallpox at the age of only 34 (1861). In August 1858, Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter published the first edition of Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical, in a print run of 2,000 copies. It is bound in brown, embossed bookbinder’s cloth with gold-lettered “Gray’s Anatomy” on the spine. This year will see the 41^st edition of this enduring reference book, but here we share some images of our first edition with Carter’s stunningly detailed anatomical drawings, most of which had incorporated labels, a novel approach at the time.

Steffi Sams, Information Services Manager