Crown Office, 25 Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LA

Until 1886 this was the site of Edinburgh’s phrenological museum, founded by the president of the Edinburgh Phrenological Society, George Combes. Phrenologists believed that people’s characters were determined by the development of the ‘organs’ of the brain, which could by read by examining the shapes of their skulls. It represented an early attempt to explain the human mind in terms of the physical structure of the brain. The carved stone heads on the exterior of the building reflected its occupants interest in the shapes of people’s craniums.

No public access.

George Combe (1788–1848).

The phrenological organs, from George Combe, Outlines of Phrenology (1836).

Find out more

• John van Wyhe, The History of Phrenology on the Web: Overview
• John van Wyhe, The History of Phrenology on the Web: George Combe (1788–1858)
• University of Edinburgh, College of Medicine & Veterinary Science: The Rise and Fall of Phrenology in Edinburgh