Auzoux Horse model restored
Image - fotopedia.com
The Auzoux Horse, a 75%-scale papier-mache model of a horse created as a teaching aid in 1846, has been restored after an effort of four months by a multidisciplinary team under the coordination of Atelier Marchal-Poncelet at the workshops of the Musée Fragonard in Maisons-Alfort. The restoration was funded by a donation of €50,000 by Pfizer Animal Health.
The anatomically accurate teaching aid was originally commissioned by the French Ministry of War during the reign of King Louis-Philippe I to facilitate the education of military personnel engaged in the care of horses. The model, which has long been a popular attraction at the École nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort (Alfort National Veterinary School) in Paris, stands at 1.58 metres tall, is 1.67 metres long and weighs in at 65kg. Created by the anatomist Louis Auzoux, the model was a revolutionary development in veterinary equine education because it allowed veterinary students to study equine anatomy in considerable detail without the need for dissection.
Commenting, Director of Global Alliance PAH EuAfME Isabelle Dieuzy-Labaye said "This is an historically important veterinary artifact which deserves to be preserved for future generations. Although we spend a great deal of our time looking at future needs and developing innovative animal health solutions for veterinarians, Pfizer Animal Health also appreciates the need to preserve veterinary heritage, so the company was happy to support this particular project."
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