The Human Developmental Anatomy Center (HDAC) will acquire and preserve collections and individual specimens that document the normal embryological development of the human and common research animal species. The collection aims to centralize research material and make it available for study and for education by prior arrangement and via web site access. The mission of HDAC is also governed by that of the Collections Division at large.

History: In 1914, the Department of Embryology of Johns Hopkins University was established to study human embryo development. During the next sixty years, under the leadership of Franklin P. Mall and others, the collection, including detailed embryological models, became the largest in the world. In 1973, the collection was relocated to the University of California, Davis; in 1992 it was transferred to the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, D.C. There, as the core of the new Human Developmental Anatomy Center, the Carnegie Collection, as it was known, became available for use by researchers through a variety of media. Since its inception, HDAC has added several other important embryology collections. Combined, these collections represent the largest holding of embryological material in the United States, and one of the largest in the world.

Intellectual Organization: The Carnegie Collection, as the single largest collection in the Human Developmental Anatomy Center, provides the intellectual framework for the organization of all new small acquisitions. Objects are grouped by type and by the recognized 23 Carnegie stages of embryological development identified during the first eight weeks of growth. When acquired, larger collections are kept with their original organization schemes. A searchable database allows access to the collections and is able to cross-reference within them.

Collecting Plan: HDAC seeks collections of specimens, documents, articles, and research records of historical significance; or objects associated with person(s) significant to the history of embryology. Also accepted are modern materials documenting the first trimester of development that represent current and ongoing research in human development. Only specimens in good physical condition and with acquisition records and notes on preservation and handling will be accepted. Tissue must be preserved in 10% buffered formalin. Proper packing and shipping of individual fluid-preserved specimens to the museum is the responsibility of the donor. Individual specimens or whole collections considered for accession into the Human Developmental Anatomy Center of the NMHM will be evaluated by the appropriate collections staff to determine condition and fit within the museum. Transactions relating to documentation of ownership of objects will be processed in accordance with standard registrarial procedures. General details on collecting are available under the Collections Initiatives section of the Collections Division Policies and Statements document.