Dr. Shadinger READS

Bunch Library is starting a new poster series featuring familiar faces with their favorite books. Dr. Shadinger from the School of Music was kind enough to agree to be in our very first poster! He chose the book Beethoven's Hair: An Extraordinary Historical Odyssey and a Scientific Mystery Solved by Russel Martin. This poster is featured in the Music Library on the third floor of Bunch and in our online gallery found here. Read what Dr. Shadinger said about this book below.

This is a true and interesting account of a lock of Beethoven’s hair (cut as souvenir by a friend at the time of Beethoven’s death). The book chronicles the saga of the lock of hair as it passes from owner to owner until it is lost during WW II because it belonged to a Jewish family who died in the holocaust. In recent years the hair (contained in a locket) resurfaced in Denmark. The author weaves an interesting detective story to figure out how the hair survived the war. After the hair is auctioned and comes into new hands in recent years, it was forensically tested and revealed interesting clues about Beethoven’s health and what might have caused his hearing loss and ultimate death. It is a captivating story.