Jessie A. Fowler was a celebrated practitioner of phrenology, the belief that the observation of bumps and indentations of the skull was indicative of mental faculties and personal characteristics. Today, phrenology ("head reading”) is commonly viewed as the outmoded theories of eccentrics and quacks. But in the nineteenth century its influence was colossal at all levels of society, more than its later competitors, such as psychoanalysis. As vice president of the American Institute of Phrenology, Ms. Fowler was a trusted source for determining the “true nature” of people, from the president of the United States to the most infamous murderers. Read more about it!

The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.

The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.