A Measure of Perfection

“Intensively details how artists adapted phrenological concepts to their works. . . . A much-needed guide to exploring and understanding phrenology in American culture.” — Journal of American History

“While Colbert’s interpretations of particular objects . . . contribute significantly to the study of nineteenth-century American art, his book more broadly informs our understanding of nineteenth-century American culture and the extent to which the visual shared moral authority with textual forms of knowledge.” — American Quarterly

“In this richly detailed interdisciplinary book, Charles Colbert makes a compelling case for the importance of phrenology in the development of American art, art criticism, and literature. . . . The author demonstrates how phrenological studies intersected with a host of cultural movements and practices.” — American Historical Review

“Offers readers an engaging and most revealing view of ‘half-world’ nineteenth-century American cultural politics, especially of the antebellum period. . . . [An] imaginative historical recuperation of a previously undervalued aspect of nineteenth-century American culture.” — Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography

“Handsomely produced [and] fully illustrated . . . this book adds another ingredient to the intellectual stew of the American Renaissance.” — New York History

“A useful addition to the early history of psychology. It represents a skillful blend of various histories: artistic, social, and scientific.” — Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences

“A rich and valuable volume addressing an important subject too long overlooked. . . . [This work] compels us to expand our understandings of Victorian religion and spirituality.” — Winterthur Portfolio

“A deeply researched, continuously engaging, and highly informative book on an important topic that has been largely hitherto neglected. Drawing on an impressive body of primary evidence, Colbert makes a clear and convincing case that phrenology is central to an understanding of the development of American art in the nineteenth century. Along the way, he casts light on other aspects of American culture, including literature and social reform.” — David S. Reynolds, City University of New York