In the Victorian era it was popular for people to host mummy-unwrapping parties in their homes.
In the Victorian era it was popular for people to host mummy-unwrapping parties in their homes, dissecting the ancient bodies for education and entertainment. As hygienic as it was ethical, the flesh, bandages and artefacts were passed around to be smelled, touched, and even tasted. This illustration depicts French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero unrolling a mummy in Cairo in 1886.
In 1893, Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building hosted the unwrapping of a female mummy for an audience of 700, mostly women. The mummy's authenticity was proven by subjecting its bandages to the judgement of an expert in linen, who said they had not been spun on machines, and the body was placed on an elevated dais. After removing all but the final layer of wrappings, an incision was made to extract a lock of golden hair. Visitors were then allowed to examine the mummy closely. Some stole the wrappings, and others were rightfully repulsed. (Wikimedia Commons)