THREE FAMOUS ENGRAVINGS depict Alexis St. Martin in his youth. I've seen them many times, in biographies of his surgeon William Beaumont, in Beaumont's own book, in journal articles about the pair. As detailed as the artworks are, you can't tell what St. Martin looked like from examining them. All three woodcuts are of the lower portion of his left breast, and the famous hole. I could pick St. Martin's nipple out of a lineup before I could his eyes. I suppose this makes sense; Beaumont was a researcher and St. Martin his subject-more a body than a man.
In Mary Roach's book "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal," she discusses three well-known engravings of Alexis St. Martin that highlight his physical condition rather than his features. These artworks, often featured in biographies of his surgeon, William Beaumont, specifically focus on the lower part of St. Martin's left breast and the notable hole resulting from a gunshot wound. The engravings are detailed yet do not capture St. Martin's overall appearance,...
