The New Physiognomy

The New Physiognomy by Samuel R. Wells explores the once-celebrated Victorian science of physiognomy—the study of character and intellect through the features and expressions of the human face. A cornerstone of popular psychology in its day, this richly illustrated volume reflects an age obsessed with decoding the moral, mental, and emotional nature of man through physical form.

Wells presents a detailed system linking facial structure, posture, and expression to inner disposition, offering hundreds of examples drawn from life, art, and history. His work combines pseudoscientific curiosity with philosophical reflection, charting how 19th-century thinkers sought to read the soul through the body.

A fascinating document of Victorian psychology, anthropology, and belief, The New Physiognomy remains both a cultural artifact and a mirror to the enduring human desire to understand character through appearance.

Complete edition of Samuel R. Wells’s influential study of human expression

Features hundreds of engraved illustrations and character analyses

A major work in Victorian psychology, phrenology, and moral philosophy

Essential for readers of cultural history, pseudoscience, and the study of the human mind