The incredible, beautiful, creative, sculptural, stitched learning aids created by Angélique-Marguerite du Coudray (1712-1789) to teach midwifery to rural French women in the 18th Century. Angélique-Marguerite was born into a prominent medical family and by 25 had completed her medical training and exams, just before the authorities to banned instruction of female midwives. In 1759 she was commissioned by the king to instruct midwifery to peasant women in an attempt to reduce infant mortality. For the next 24 years, she traveled throughout France sharing her extensive knowledge.
To help her teach rural midwives, Angélique-Marguerite created various stitched models and a full-size obstetric model, which she called "the machine". It was a model of a woman's lower body, made of fabric, leather and stuffing. Thank you
