It’s Alive! The Scientific Roots of Monsters

Frankenstein, vampires, and werewolves are part of the lore of Halloween, but where did these horror tropes originate?

Vampire and werewolf legends actually have origins in historical fact, and there once were real Victor Frankensteins seeking to animate the dead and actual grave robbers terrifying the public. Living-history performers Dean Howarth and Rachel O’Connell will explore the science behind classic horror tales through macabre stories and demonstrations. The evening’s “visual soundtrack” will feature Anthony Casperite’s illustrations of iconic horror themes inspired by the history of science and the players in the tales surrounding the story of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and other monster myths.

Tickets for this event are $10. Come early and visit our museum, which will be open until 7:00 p.m.

About the Performers

Dean Howarth is a veteran physics teacher and a living historian who re-creates episodes in the history of science using a large repertoire of replica scientific devices, specimens, and demonstrations. His website is livinghistoriesofscience.com.

Rachel O’Connell is an adjunct performer with Living Histories of Science. For over 10 years she has presented living-history narratives on such scientific topics as astronomy, early ballooning and pneumatics, Newtonian science, quackery and mesmerism, early paleontology and natural science, and Franklin’s electricity.

Anthony Casperite is an artist-illustrator from Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Tony is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts).

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