First Friday: More Than Meets the Eye

This First Friday is themed around our newest ExhibitLab display, More Than Meets the Eye, which explores social and material technologies that have shaped corneal transplantation.

Corneas became the first human tissue to be successfully transplanted in 1905. Come learn about the science of eye banking that has kept this surgical practice going since the early 1900s.

In partnership with AltruVision–A Lions Eye Bank—a nonprofit organization and our neighbor here in Philadelphia—this exhibition presents the history of corneal donations and transplantation. It shows how donor networks, preservation techniques, and transportation devices have evolved with surgical practices over the years. From Helen Keller’s 1925 address to the Lions Clubs International Convention—a powerful act of self-advocacy in which she called upon the Lions to become “Knights of the Blind”—to bespoke tools like the microkeratome and the humble FedEx box, More Than Meets the Eye encourages visitors to think about surprising coalitions and unique forms of expertise that have made it possible to perform this life-altering surgery.

November is Eye Donation Month, and we are pleased to kick it off by welcoming members of the extended AltruVision family to the opening of More Than Meets the Eye. In particular, we are thrilled to welcome new partners from Overbrook School for the Blind who have created tactile signage for the exhibit through their Work Experience Initiative.

Be sure to swing by our handling table, where we will be displaying some of the tactile learning tools that can make the home, the lab, and even outer space accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. Then check out the Othmer Library’s table to see a 1786 copy of the first embossed book published for use by readers who are blind. Last but not least, AltruVision will also be hosting a table about the science of sight, the impact of donation, and ways to get involved.

Agenda

• 5–7pm
  More Than Meets the Eye opening reception

• 5:15pm
  Drop-in library tour

• 6:15pm
  AltruVision and Exhibit curator remarks

Othmer Library Tours

Did you know? We are giving public tours of our research library every First Friday! Come by at 5:15pm to get a behind-the-scenes look upstairs at the resources and archives available to all scientifically curious minds. Registration is not required, but space is limited. Learn more here.

About First Fridays

Spark your curiosity while exploring the exhibits after hours! First Fridays bring together a myriad of activities covering everyday science, historical oddities, and everything in between. Grab your friends, and kick off an evening of discovery, surprise, and a little nerdy fun.

First Fridays at the Institute are always free and open to the public. Attendees will receive a 10% discount to National Mechanics restaurant.

Featured image: “What makes a rose a rose or an eye an eye?” Ad for International Business Machines, 1961.