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Mütter Museum Adopts New Human-Remains Policy, Retains Displays With Deeper Context

After a two-year review, the museum now centers consent and provenance through stricter donation rules and planned repatriation.

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Among the items on display at the Mütter Museum is a cast of Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins who were the subject of fascination in the 19th century. The twins' autopsy was performed at the College of Physicians, the parent organization of the museum.
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Overview

  • The update commits to exhibiting remains for education with new interpretive materials, including print and audio guides that foreground individuals' histories.
  • Roughly 400 educational videos are being restored to the museum’s YouTube channel, and images of remains will return online with added context and educational framing.
  • Future acquisitions will be limited to donations from living primary donors or to explicit requests made by decedents, ending other forms of intake.
  • Staff research indicates many specimens can be de‑anonymized through archival and genealogical records, illustrated by case work such as the identified skeleton of Tommy Jeff from the 1880s.
  • Leaders say they will proactively pursue repatriation, including outreach to Native American tribes under federal law, and they are hosting public events to explain the policy and findings.