The Hand Collection

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.6 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 22 June 2023

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You can learn a lot about a person from their hands. In this episode, we hear the story of a doctor who made it possible for us to hold onto the stories of presidents, astronauts, musicians, artists and more… through bronze molds of their hands. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/adrian-e-flatt-m-d-hand-collection

Transcript

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0:00.0	I've always been fascinated by hands, other people's hands.
0:10.8	This is Dr. Adrian Flapp, a renowned hand surgeon.
0:14.6	This tape is from an interview he gave to the Baylor University Medical Center, back in
0:18.4	the 90s.
0:19.7	Most people look at faces first, I look at hands, the person's character is right there.
0:26.8	It's in the fingertips, the palms, it's in the wrinkles and the scars.
0:32.2	If you've heard of one orthopedic surgeon, and I mean, God, we've all heard of dozens,
0:36.8	it's probably Dr. Flapp.
0:39.4	He was a big deal in the world of hand surgery.
0:42.4	On top of performing surgery, he wrote books, gave lectures, he spent many years teaching
0:46.9	and training new surgeons.
0:48.6	He died in 2017 after a long and esteemed career.
0:53.6	But Dr. Flapp left more than just a legacy.
0:57.5	He left a bit of his handiwork, if you will, 120 pieces of it, or, I guess, 240 pieces,
1:07.5	depending on how you want to count.
1:09.8	Because Dr. Adrian Flapp left behind hands.
1:19.1	I'm Dylan Thoris and this is Alice Obsgera.
1:22.2	Today we are visiting the Adrian E. Flapp MD hand collection.
1:27.0	And in case you've been envisioning something truly gruesome, these are not people's
1:31.8	cutoff hands.
1:32.8	They are casts of hands.
1:34.4	But we will tell you all about them after this.
	...

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