Grave Robbers: The Dark Side of 19th-Century Medicine with K. K. Cathers
$25.00
Date: Thursday, November 12th, 2026
Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Ages: 15+
The nineteenth-century rise of medicine brought with it a need for corpses. In America it is estimated numbers rose to 40,000 a year. But bodies were hard to come by legally.
What formed was an illicit industry of grave robbing done with the knowledge and cooperation of every school of medicine/anatomy. At its height, it is estimated that as many as 10 bodies a night were snatched for students, sometimes by the students themselves.
And sometimes the robbers resorted to murder to meet the demand.
Following her talk on Victorian Poisoners, join K. K. Cathers for another fascinating and unsettling evening in the Curiosa Common Room as she delves into the illicit world of nineteenth-century grave robbing and the lengths people went to procure the dead.
Best suited for ages 15 and up. Seats are limited - dig up your tickets before they’re gone.
Host:
K. K. Cathers runs A Curiosity of Crime and Bandit’s Roost, research resources for authors of historical detective fiction (1800-1940). She teaches historical forensics, crime and law enforcement to help authors craft intriguing fiction while remaining true to their era. She published A Writer’s Guide to Nineteenth-Century Murder by Arsenic, whose follow-up, Reading the Room: The Forensics of Crime Scenes, will be out in 2026. Visit her Linktree site for more information about her and some tidbits on historical crime.
Cancellation Policy
Please note that all our facilitators carefully prepare in advance for each event, whether it’s gathering materials, setting up special activities, or creating a memorable experience. For this reason, once purchased, tickets are non-refundable.
If your plans change, you’re welcome to transfer your ticket to a friend up to 24 hours before the event. Just call us at (647) 341-0394 or send an email to oracle@curiosasociety.com with the new participant’s name, phone number, and email address, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Please Note
To ensure you don’t miss out, we recommend arriving a little early to get settled in.
Our event space is on the second floor, accessible only by stairs; if this raises any accessibility concerns, we encourage you to contact us before purchasing tickets to explore what accommodations, if any, might be possible.
For a full list of our workshop and event policies please visit our F.A.Q. page.
