The Cajal Embroidery Project: celebrating neuroscience

摘要

The Cajal Embroidery Project celebrates the centenary of the 1920 Royal Decree that established the illustrious Instituto Cajal in Madrid, Spain. Over 75 volunteers collaborated across six countries to create 81 intricate, exquisite hand-stitched panels of Ramón y Cajal's images, which were then curated and displayed by Edinburgh Neuroscience at the virtual FENS 2020 Forum. The Project pays homage to the fascinating history of the institution and its founder, Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934). He is well known for his pioneering, consummate, and informative illustrations of neurons and their arborisations that ultimately demonstrated the notion that brain cells are distinct, diverse units, which communicate with one another. That acknowledgment—of individuality and interconnectedness—is borne out in our Project (figure). Some volunteers chose to emulate even the circular blue-ink stamp with the words ‘Museo Cajal, Madrid’ and a number handwritten by Pedro Manzano, the caretaker who first catalogued Ramón y Cajal's drawings.