Join Curator Michael Seminara in the Rare Book Room at the Institute of the History of Medicine for a look at some of the Historical Collection’s most terrifying books! We’ll discuss connections between medicine and the occult from the 16th century to the mid-19th century. We’ll see exorcism manuals, conflicting theories on witchcraft, a grimoire, and accounts of vampiric activity.
Michael Seminara is the Curator of the Historical Collection at the Institute of the History of Medicine. In this role, he oversees the development of the rare and circulating collections of about 70,000 books, along with manuscripts, images, and artifacts. With 10 years of experience in library special collections, Michael is an advocate for the use of primary sources and is always happy to discuss research with students and scholars. He holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Stony Brook University and an MLIS from Rutgers University.
Event DateFriday, October 30, 2026Start Time: 12:00pm EDTEnd Time: 1:00pm EDT
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ContactOffice of Alumni RelationsPatrick BurkeLifelong Learning(800)JHU-JHU1hopkinsathome@jhu.edu
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