Photographing Medicine - Images and Power in Britain and America since 1840

With a perspective shaped by recent work in art history and the sociology of knowledge, the authors encourage the reader to analyze photographs as complicated historical documents. They argue that, while photographs may appear to be literal depictions of reality, they actually pose profound problems of historical interpretation. The authors take as their subject matter the representation of medicine in photographs taken in Britain and the United States from 1840 through the present day. They have studied thousands of photographs, more than 250 of which are reprinted in this volume, in conjunction with other primary sources and historical accounts. The text explores the representations of medicine made by photographers and their employers, and the ways that audiences through the years have interpreted their messages.

About the author

DANIEL M. FOX is Professor of Humanities in Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

CHRISTOPHER J. LAWRENCE is Senior Lecturer in the History of Medicine at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine in London.

Product details

• Authors: Daniel M. Fox, Fox Daniel M., Christophe Lawrence, Christopher Lawrence
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 7 to 17
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 13.05.1988
• EAN: 9780313237195
• ISBN: 978-0-313-23719-5
• No. of pages: 370
• Weight: 879 g
• Series: Contributions in Medical Studies
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > General; USA, Medicine, MEDICAL / General, 20th Century, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, PHOTOGRAPHY / Reference, PHOTOGRAPHY / Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions / General, HISTORY / Reference, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Reference works, Photographs: collections, Social and cultural history, United States of America, USA, Medicine and Nursing, Health and Wellness: Diseases and Conditions