I don’t know about you, but a talking transparent anatomical mannequin gives me the heebie jeebies. But maybe some of you feel differently, so let me introduce you to Valeda III, who has been on display at the Kansas Learning Center for Health since 1965. Yes, this “woman” has been giving light-up demonstrations to generations of Kansas school children for fifty years. As the house lights dim and the curtains part, Valeda is revealed on a pedestal. Then her body slowly rotates as she describes her various organs as they light up, such as her liver, kidneys and ovaries, to the groups of schoolchildren watching her presentation. Although creepy, Valeda is the physical prototype of all women as she stands 5’7” and, if alive, would weigh around 145 lbs. The original mold was made by completely coating the body of a living, 28-year-old German woman with rubber, which was allowed to harden, then peeled off to form Valeda’s plastic skin. So I guess she is a real woman after all.
Kansas Learning Center for Health
