Musée des Moulages: A Chilling Collection of Dermatological Wax Casts at Hôpital Saint-Louis

The Musée des Moulages, located within the Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris's 10th arrondissement, houses a unique collection of pathological wax casts documenting skin diseases. Founded in 1801 as a dermatology hospital, the institution preserves the legacy of Dr. Jean-Louis Alibert (1768–1837), considered the father of dermatology. In 1863, Dr. Charles Lailler commissioned hundreds of casts for educational purposes. Artisan Jules Baretta (1834–1923) produced 2,500 of the over 4,000 pieces in the collection, officially inaugurated in 1866. The casts depict faces, noses, chins, limbs, and hands afflicted with various sores and diseases, displayed in beautifully preserved wooden vitrines. The museum is open only by appointment, Monday to Friday, and is prohibited to children under 12. Comparable collections exist at the Museo di Storia Naturale della Specola in Florence and the Musée d'Histoire de la Médecine in Paris.