How do you move Jeremy Bentham's Auto-icon?

In February 2020, UCL’s spiritual founder, Jeremy Bentham, was given a permanent new home in UCL's Student Centre, where he will be showcased and preserved to museum standard.
Until recently, the ‘Auto-Icon’ of the eccentric English philosopher - comprising Bentham’s skeleton and wax head - sat in a wooden box in the corner of the Wilkins Building, dressed in 18th century clothing and holding Bentham’s favourite walking stick known as ‘Dapple’.
Bentham is UCL’s most popular museum exhibit, attracting visitors from all over the world.

[@unfairsanic5089]

Benthams head 🎶🎶🎶

[@AwesomesandsmusicAwesomesandsm]

Haydens head😜

[@annieinwonderland]

Middle ages where magic...

[@alton791]

The Bubonic Plague in America. 🎶

[@alton791]

& when his head was missing, it was Haydn seek.

[@historyarmyproductions]

I love all of you-

[@Jainanz]

Thanks for uploading this interesting video. I'm a descendent of Bentham (more accurately a descendent of his brother Samuel) and I think this is a great improvement over where he was stored previously. Thank you for taking such great care with such an unusual charge! I'm looking forward to visiting UCL and seeing him surrounded by light and life, rather than being tucked away in what felt like a rather dingy corridor.

[@triciaaw4539]

Jeremy Bentham has been one of my heroes since I was a little girl, and read his quote about the treatment of animals :, "The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" Just one of so many excellent ideas. A brillient man for the Ages. Sorry I missed him when he was at The Met.

[@keiwanmosaddegh5947]

"Where he can be seen 24/7, 52 weeks of the year" COVID-19: Hold my beer.

[@agentg11]

hold my symptoms

[@TheNightWatcher1385]

I was once a university man myself, and if my memories of the mischief I got up to are accurate, putting him in the student center is a terrible idea.

[@notCynicalReally]

University students back in the day actually stole his head a few times And I do mean his actual preserved head 👀

[@frankydman]

He was an interesting man to say the least; according to some he invented an early version of underpants, he had a “pet” teapot named Dickie, and he called his walking sticks Dapple and Dobbin. And that’s not even counting his… ahem, unique plans for decorating his garden

[@angieisadork]

🎶Benthams heeeeaaaad🎶

[@KaydenGOSHpoggersPan]

he is one of my ancestors :)

[@larryrobinson6914]

To where ? Blackpool ?

[@katia3655]

sick

[@bazza945]

They asked him if he approved of being relocated. They got tired of waiting for his reply, so they shifted Jezza anyway.

[@soccermommyNPC]

Jezza? 🤣😭

[@d.b.2812]

But he's not there and that's just a big life like doll.

[@angelareele858]

Let the dead die.......

[@AFN.90210]

He wanted it

[@TheCandiceWang]

That's his real skeleton?? What's an auto icon?

[@PurpleDragon0628]

An auto icon is a dead body that is preserved, dressed and displayed, often in memory of the person. And yes, that is his real skeleton (minus the head).

[@sonavanickova581]

Look up the channel called "Caitlin Doughty - Ask A Mortician", she has a great video on Bentham's autoicon and his head. Everything explained perfectly there.

[@DenitaArnold]

Plus the little head that keeps popping up 😂

[@davidemmet7343]

*Good to see that Joe Biden is being well looked after.*

[@davidemmet7343]

B

[@patrickm5217]

Second or third time I’ve seen you make a similar joke on a Jeremy Bentham video. You’re not funny lol 😂

[@skywind007]

I wonder if these remains should be laid to rest in a more dignified manner than being used as an artifact of obsolete spectacle.

[@kidragakas]

Fun fact: he was preserved and displayed as per his wishes, of which he felt so strongly, he not only included it in his will, he wrote a book extolling its virtues, encouraging others. Dignity comes in many forms. Including honouring death wishes.

[@MoonshineTheDragThing]

He would've been offended by this youtube comment because he despised traditional funeral practices.

[@shocktide6428]

​@@MoonshineTheDragThing This isn't traditional by today's standards so were in the clear.