Mirrors in early clinical photography (1862–1882): a descriptive study

Abstract

In the mid-nineteenth century, photographers used mirrors to document different views of a patient in the same image. The first clinical photographs were taken by portrait photographers. As conventions for clinical photography were not yet established, early clinical photographs resemble contemporary portraits. The use of mirrors in clinical photography probably originated from the portrait studios, as several renowned photographers employed mirrors in their studio portraits. Clinical photographs taken for the US Army Medical Museum between 1862 and 1882 show different ways of employing this mirror technique.

Keywords:

• medical art and illustration
• mirrors
• education
• clinical photography
• 19th Century
• Armed forces

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Michael Rhode, former archivist at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, and archivist Laura E. Cutter for finding all the photographs with mirrors in the Otis Historical Archives, and professor Aud Sissel Hoel at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology for advice on police photographs with mirrors.

Declaration of interest

The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.