Dead men walk-in

An exhibit gives a close-up view of human anatomy -- at the mall

DURHAM -- Certain sights are expected at the mall: teenage boys in baseball caps making flirty eyes with young ladies, chocolate chip cookies as big as your face, tired husbands.

Now let's add something to that list: dead people.

"Bodies ... The Exhibition" opens today at The Streets at Southpoint, giving visitors the ability to take an anatomy lesson between shopping stops -- if they're willing to part with $24.50.

A hit with audiences across the country, "Bodies" exhibits have been seen by 3 million people. The Durham exhibit features more than 250 specimens, including major organs and entire dissected bodies, preserved with liquid silicone rubber.

A foot is dissected to show the tendons, which look just like spaghetti. A woman is dissected into three vertical parts, giving visitors a look into the digestive tract. Skulls and vertebrae are on display.

The exhibit is divided into nine galleries, including circulatory, digestive, skeletal and reproductive systems.

"Bodies" is presented by Premier Exhibitions, the same company that is behind "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition," which came to Raleigh in 2003. The company runs several "Bodies" shows simultaneously, and the Durham stop coincides with exhibits in Las Vegas and New York City.

Roy Glover, professor emeritus of anatomy and cell biology at the University of Michigan, is on the Premier staff and acts as chief spokesman for the exhibit. He says he got involved with the project because he wants to inform people about anatomy, while hopefully persuading them to take better care of themselves.

"Anatomy is my passion," he said. "I'm here because I think people need to learn about their bodies."

Perhaps some people will see a healthy lung next to a smoker's lung and realize they need to stop smoking. There will be a case next to the smoker's lungs for people to drop in their cigarettes.

Premier rented the bodies from a medical school in China, paying an upfront fee of $50 million, Glover said. Each died of natural causes, and the bodies went unclaimed by family or friends.

Some have questioned the bodies' origins. Last year in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., officials refused to allow the exhibition to appear in a city-owned hall. City spokesman Chaz Adams said the mayor and others had concerns about whether people had given their consent to be displayed, in addition to scheduling issues at the auditorium.

"Bodies" drew protesters in London, as members of a religious sect banned in China feared that those on display could be executed political prisoners.

But Glover said the bodies were obtained legally and that none were prisoners. "We believe in the integrity of the people we deal with," he said.

"It would be financial suicide for us to go anywhere with bodies that we had obtained illegally or unethically," Glover said, noting that in Michigan, unclaimed bodies are used for scientific research and educational purposes.

Courtney Phillips, senior marketing manager for the mall, said officials there were aware that prior "Bodies" exhibits drew protesters. But she didn't know of any protests at a shopping and entertainment center in New York City, which is owned by the same company as Southpoint. The "Bodies" exhibit there is closing in on 1 million visitors.

"It's an educational exhibit," she said. "It seems like a great opportunity to bring something this dynamic to the Triangle."

The exhibit is not a sideshow, Glover said, adding that Premier goes to great lengths and expense to set up a museum-quality exhibit. The lighting, backdrops and information cards look just like those in science museums.

Glover emphasizes the educational value of the exhibit, and hopes that parents will bring their children. Educational materials are available for teachers who want to illuminate anatomy for their students. More than 200,000 schoolchildren have seen the exhibit so far.

Children can learn from the exhibit because the decisions they make now about how they treat their bodies will affect them for the rest of their lives. And, he said, there's always the chance that a few of them might be inspired to become doctors.