Behind the Scenes of an Imaginary 19th Century Ballet

The David J. Sencer CDC Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, exhibits Savior of Mothers: The Forgotten Ballet of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis.

Joanna Ebenstein‘s “installation of artifacts and ephemera related to an imaginary 19th century ballet” is inspired by the true story of Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis and his attempts to cure “childbed fever,” which ran rampant in his clinic at the time. Ebenstein (who, among other things, runs the very excellent Morbid Anatomy blog) illustrates the story with costume designs for “Plague Demons of Cadaverous Particles” and the “12 Mourning Mothers From Beyond the Grave,” along with model theaters designed by Chris Muller and built by Jason Ardizzone-West. We’re not just talking about the cure for some vague childhood illness — this “ballet” seems like the perfect remedy for anyone who’s just sick to death of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, too.

(Images via Morbid Anatomy)