Remains of William Taylor White (1837-1852) donated to Smithsonian with his coffin and clothing

Smithsonian ^ | February 17, 2010 | Jessica Porter & John Barrat

[SunkenCiv]

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History recently acquired the remains, clothing and coffin of William Taylor White, a 15-year-old boy who was buried in Washington, D.C. in 1852. His coffin was unearthed in Washington's Columbia Heights neighborhood in April 2005 during a construction project at an apartment building.

White, who was a student at Columbian College from Accomack County, Va., died of pneumonia and complications from a mitral heart defect. When his coffin was unearthed, his identity was a deep mystery. Only through the diligent work of a multi-disciplinary team of Smithsonian staff, student interns and external specialists was White's identity finally established. After a number of blind leads the team was able to track down White's living relatives through historical records. They then used DNA analysis to confirm that the designated relatives were indeed related to White.

White's relatives erected a headstone for him at a family cemetery on Virginia's Eastern Shore and donated his remains, clothing and coffin to the Natural History Museum's Department of Anthropology.

"The results of the multidisciplinary and collaborative research that led to the identification of William T. White is a testament in the interaction of the Smithsonian departments and the abilities of the experts involved," says David Hunt, collections manager of the Physical Anthropology Division at the Natural History Museum.

Future studies of White's coffin, clothing and well-preserved remains will further support DNA research by museum staff, as well as research on cast iron coffins and Civil War-era clothing.

"The addition of this accession to the Natural History Museum's Anthropology Department fills a void for pre-Civil War iron coffin types and the remains of a documented known age and sex sub-adult skeleton," Hunt says. "This acquisition is a ground-breaking addition to the Smithsonian collection and will further promote Smithsonian research."

[SunkenCiv]

Image right: Anthropologists at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History clean and measure the body of William White after his coffin was opened. (Photo by Chip Clark)

[onyx]

Very interesting.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks NYer. From 2010, but never before posted on FR. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[SunkenCiv]

It’s amusing that the mummy appears to be turning his head to look at one of the researchers.

[onyx]

Yeah, I noticed that, too.
I reckon the dead were displayed in that fashion in those days.

[manc]

it is amazing what we can do today .

[GeorgeWashingtonsGhost]

Hey, they’re ‘bullying’ him!

[rabidralph]

They don’t look anything like the people on “Bones.”

[rabidralph]

Hollywood fantasy

Vs.

Reality

[Lockbar]

If you go on You Tube and look around there a couple of documentaries from England about removing hundreds of coffins from old church crypts in London. Native Englanders refuse to do the job so they have to import “guest workers” from eastern Europe to handle the old dead bodies. Very creepy stuff to say the least.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Sick, I think one of the guys has his gloved hand on his crotch!

[stylecouncilor]

Ping

[Kirkwood]

Shameful desecration. Whatever happened to Rest in Peace?

[Billthedrill]

Hmm...not so bad for 150 years dead. Kinda reminds me of what I see in the mirror every morning. BTT

[FlingWingFlyer]

Interesting story.

[uncitizen]

Thanks for posting

[EinNYC]

Here is a reconstruction of what he looked like. Nice-looking kid.