author
Charles Otto Dhonau
1886–1976
A longtime Cincinnati funeral educator and co-author of early 20th-century embalming manuals, he helped shape how mortuary science was taught in the United States. His work blends practical instruction with anatomy and public-health concerns, giving modern listeners a vivid glimpse into a specialized profession in transition.
1 Audiobook
Anatomy and Embalming A Treatise on the Science and Art of Embalming, the Latest and Most Successful Methods of Treatment and the General Anatomy Relating to this Subject
by Albert John Nunnamaker, Charles Otto Dhonau
About the author
Born in Cincinnati on March 23, 1886, Charles Otto Dhonau built his career in funeral service and mortuary education. Sources connected with the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science describe him as a key figure in the school’s development, noting that by 1909 he had taken over the institution that became the Cincinnati College of Embalming.
Dhonau is best known as the co-author, with Albert John Nunnamaker, of Anatomy and Embalming and Hygiene and Sanitary Science. The Library of Congress records these books as publications from 1913, and Project Gutenberg identifies both men as professors of anatomy and sanitary science at the Cincinnati College of Embalming. His writing reflects an era when embalming was being presented not just as a trade skill, but as a field tied to anatomy, sanitation, and professional training.
He died on April 10, 1976. While not a widely profiled literary figure, Dhonau remains notable for preserving the language, methods, and ambitions of early mortuary science in book form, making his work valuable to readers interested in medical history, funeral practices, and specialized technical education.