Photo Gallery The Man-Machine
Fritz Kahn (1888-1968) took his lead from the industrialised urban environment of Berlin during the Weimar Republic. In his illustrations he explained human biology in purely mechanical terms.
His technical graphics were compiled in a five-volume series "Das Leben des Menschen" ("The Life of Man"), which became an internationally admired best seller. This illustration shows how erections work.
His books were banned and burnt by the Nazis because Kahn was Jewish. But the doctor managed to flee to the US, where he continued his career.
Long overlooked, his works have been dusted off by the Berlin Medical History Museum, which is hosting a major new Fritz Kahn exhibition. Entitled "Fritz Kahn -- Maschine Mensch" ("Fritz Kahn -- Machine Man"), the show will run from Jan. 23 to April 11, 2010.
