'The History of Plastic Surgery: Healing, Beauty, and Reinvention' Webinar

Tickets: $18.88 ( incl. $3.88 fees ) (includes access to the full replay for one week)

Click the link below to officially register for this experience:

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1982296092976

From battlefield wounds to beauty clinics, the story of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is as much about healing as it is about reinvention. How did a medical response to war injuries evolve into a billion-dollar industry promising perfection? It's time to peel back the layers of science, culture, and aesthetics in the ever-shifting world of body transformation.

Join New York Adventure Club as we uncover the evolution of plastic surgery — what began as a lifesaving wartime practice has grown into a global phenomenon that both reflects and challenges society’s perceptions of beauty, identity, and confidence.

Led by historian Lucy Jane Santos, our unique virtual experience will include:

• The early pioneers of reconstructive surgery and how their work during the world wars laid the foundation for modern techniques
• The role of plastic materials in medical innovation and how they transformed outcomes in both functional and aesthetic procedures
• The evolution of cosmetic surgery, from niche enhancements to mainstream makeovers that mirror changing beauty standards
• The influence of film, fashion, and celebrity culture, and how media continues to shape ideals of the “perfect” body
• A glimpse into the future of aesthetic medicine, including developments in regenerative treatments and 3D bioprinting

Afterward, we'll have a Q&A session with Lucy — any and all questions are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week.
See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar
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***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week
****If the event has already passed, but it's been less than a week, you can still register for it on our website's active replay section!

About Lucy
Lucy Jane Santos is a writer, presenter and consultant who seeks out the surprising stories that sit at the edges of familiar history. Her work ranges across beauty, science, technology, popular entertainment and nightlife, uncovering fresh angles and new insights into the moments that have shaped the modern world.

This expertise has led to historical consulting roles for film and television and to on-screen contributions in documentaries as seemingly diverse as Makeup: A Glamorous History (BBC2) and Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America (Discovery +). Her research and commentary have also appeared in publications including History Today, BBC History Revealed, Vogue and the New York Post and in the London Transport Museum’s exhibition Art deco: the golden age of poster design.

She has been a judge for the Historical Writers’ Association Non-Fiction Crown, the recipient of the Stephen Joseph Research Award and was the Non-Fiction Writer In Residence for the Stay-at-Home! International Literature Festival. She is a co-founder of the Art Deco Society UK and the Cosmetic History and Makeup Studies Network.

Lucy is the author of the critically acclaimed Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium and Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium, which explore the unexpected ways radioactivity entered everyday life. Her forthcoming work, Nobody’s Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot, will be published in 2026 to coincide with global celebrations of Marilyn Monroe’s centenary, and uncovers the layered story behind one of Hollywood’s most iconic movies.

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Categories: Virtual, Moments in History