Cornelius's genius - The Human Body, what it is and how it works...

I am slightly obsessed with this early children's illustrated guide to the human body, published in 1959 and illustrated by the wonderful Cornelius De Witt. The images are startlingly strange and beautiful whilst informative, but what I really love is how he has somehow managed to bring science facts to life by illustrating the dreamy inner life of the body - his illustrations represent and interpret what happens rather than show as a grizzly medical photograph would, or rather in many cases he shows through his drawing what a photo never could - the invisible processes that make a body human - what it thinks, feels, sees and smells. He shows the wonder of what it is to be human, making a learning biological facts a thing of optimism rather than a dehumanising falling back down to earth - yes we are made of cells and governed by functions, but we have the ability to dream, communicate and discover the world around us. This can only be a good way to learn about life.

Another truly wonderful example of the power of good illustration... Oh and this last photo shows scientists that discovered interesting things about the body - v cool...