The Burns Archive is the world’s largest private collection of early

medical photography Medical photography is a specialized area of photography that concerns itself with the documentation of the clinical presentation of patients, medical and surgical procedures, medical devices and specimens from autopsy. The practice requires a high ...

and historic

photographs A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now created ...

, housing over one million photographs. While it primarily contains images related to medical practises, it is also famous for photographs depicting 'the darker side of life'. Other themes prevalent throughout the collection involve death, crime, racism, and war. The Burns Archive, Shooting Soldiers, Civil War Medical Photography by Dr

The Burns Archive, Shooting Soldiers, Civil War Medical Photography by Dr

About

Known as one of the world’s most important repositories of early medical history, images of “the darker side of life” make up the collection: anatomical and medical oddities, memorial and

post-mortem photography Post-mortem photography is the practice of photographing the recently deceased. Various cultures use and have used this practice, though the best-studied area of post-mortem photography is that of Europe and America. There can be considerable di ...

, and original historic photographs depicting death, disease, disaster, crime, racism, revolution, riots, and war. The collection traces the

history of photography The history of photography began in remote antiquity with the discovery of two critical principles: camera obscura image projection and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. There are no artifacts or de ...

, from its beginnings in 1839 to the 1950s, and includes hundreds of thousands of

Daguerreotype Daguerreotype (; french: daguerréotype) was the first publicly available photographic process; it was widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process. Invented by Louis Daguerre an ...

s, ambrotypes,

tintypes ''Tintypes'' is a musical revue conceived by Mary Kyte with Mel Marvin and Gary Pearle. Description With its time frame set between the turn of the 20th century and the onset of World War I, this chamber piece with a cast of five provides a mus ...

carte de visite The ''carte de visite'' (, visiting card), abbreviated CdV, was a type of small photograph which was patented in Paris by photographer André Adolphe Eugène Disdéri in 1854, although first used by Louis Dodero. Each photograph was the size o ...

s, and hand-colored photographs. The Burns Archive actively acquires, donates, researches, lectures, exhibits, consults, and shares its rare and unusual photographs and expertise worldwide. The Archive’s medical collection houses photographs in the categories of pioneers and innovators, operative scenes, therapy and treatments, disease and pathology, medical specialties, interesting cases and medical curiosities, hospitals and wards, nursing, alternative practitioners, anatomy and education, laboratories and doctors’ offices, medicine and war, and more. Many of these collected pictures allowed the medical community of the era to share knowledge and define pathology. The Archive's historical collection ranges from categories of death and memorial, war and conflict, and crime and punishment, to occupations and industry, social and cultural history, photographic history, Judaica, Egyptology, ethnology, folk, and African American history. The collection has been featured in over 100 exhibitions at museums and galleries worldwide, including New York’s

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

and Paris'

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...

, and has donated thousands of images to institutions, including The

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, and the

J. Paul Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood, Los Angeles, Brentwood neighborhood ...

. Having written over 1,100 articles and over 40 books, the Burns Archive has published photographic historic texts ranging from

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

funeral portraits to early

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

. Dr. Burns authored ''Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography In America'', and ''Forgotten Marriage: The Painted Tintype & The Decorative Frame, 1860-1910, A Lost Chapter in American Portraiture'', which both received the American Photographic Historical Society's award for the best publication of their kind, an honor never before bestowed on one author. Sleeping Beauty (disambiguation) was praised by Pulitzer Prize winning author,

John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth ...

, in the

American Heritage (magazine) ''American Heritage'' is a magazine dedicated to covering the history of the United States for a mainstream readership. Until 2007, the magazine was published by Forbes.

article he wrote on the book. Burns Archive Creative Director, Elizabeth A. Burns, co-authored various books with Dr. Burns, including ''Sleeping Beauty II: Grief, Bereavement & the Family, American and European Traditions'', as well as ''Geisha: A Photographic History, 1872-1912'', and the upcoming ''Stiffs, Skulls, and Skeletons'', which will be released in 2014 from

Schiffer Publishing Schiffer Publishing Ltd. (also known for its imprints Schiffer, Schiffer Craft, Schiffer Military History, Schiffer Kids, REDFeather MBS, Cornell Maritime Press, Tidewater Publishers, Thrums Books, Geared Up Publications ) is a family-owned publi ...

. Images from the Burns Archive have been a major source for various documentaries (

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary film, documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle United States, American History of the United States, history and Culture of the ...

, the

History channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...

''), television series (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

’s ''

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

'',

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

’s ''

Autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

'',

Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...

’s ''

Mysteries at the Museum ''Mysteries at the Museum'' is an hour-long television program on the Travel Channel which features museum artifacts of unusual or mysterious origins. Plot Each episode is focused on interesting and unusual artifacts held in museums. The show ...

'',

Cinemax Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent net ...

's ''

The Knick ''The Knick'' is an American medical period drama television series on Cinemax created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler and directed by Steven Soderbergh. The series follows Dr. John W. Thackery (Clive Owen) and the staff at a fictionalized vers ...

''), and feature films ('' The Silence of the Lambs'', ''

Gangs of New York ''Gangs of New York'' is a 2002 American epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book ''The Gangs of New York''. The film stars Le ...

'', '' The Others''), and has inspired artists from Joel Peter Witkin to makeup artists for ''

Jacob's Ladder Jacob's Ladder ( he, סֻלָּם יַעֲקֹב ) is a ladder leading to heaven that was featured in a dream the biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28). The significance of th ...

''.Burns Archive
Stanley B. Burns MD, Elizabeth A. Burns, and The Burns Archive, serve as the medical, historical and technical advisers for

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direc ...

’s period medical

series, ''

'', starring

Clive Owen Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series '' Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...

. ''The Knick'' looks at the professional and personal lives of Dr. John W. Thackery (played by Owen) and the staff at New York's Knickerbocker Hospital during the early part of the twentieth century. The Archive was instrumental in the recreation of turn-of-the-century medicine, as Dr. Burns worked closely with production and the actors to make the hospital scenes realistic and authentic to the period. Dr. Burns provided immersive tutorials in the world of early-20th-century surgery, complete with hands-on practice. The Archive's extensive photographic record of medical history served as comprehensive resources for procedures and became important references for everything from the antiseptic atomizers in the operating theater to an early X-ray machine, to the prosthetic worn by a recurring character. In 2020 the

Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library The Harvey Cushing and John Hay Whitney Medical Library is the central library of the Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Nursing, and Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. History The Library was built in 1941 as a Y-shaped ...

at Yale acquired 15,400 photographs from The Burns Archive. The photographs are now held in th
Stanley B. Burns, M.D., historic medical photography collection

Origins

Dr. Stanley B. Burns, the Archive’s Founder, is a New York City

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

who acquired his first medical photograph in 1975 and established the Burns Archive in 1977. The Archive began receiving recognition in 1978, when a selection of its 19th and 20th century photographs were featured in the

Time Life Time Life, with sister subsidiaries StarVista Live and Lifestyle Products Group, a holding of Direct Holdings Global LLC, is an American production company and direct marketer conglomerate, that is known for selling books, music, video/DVD, ...

Encyclopedia of Collectibles entry on photographs. The Archive was called “one of the world’s most important repositories of early medical history” by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', “the world’s greatest collection of early medical photography” by

New York (magazine) ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...

, “one of the six most important collections in the world” by

Aperture (magazine) ''Aperture'' magazine, based in New York City, is an international quarterly journal specializing in photography. Founded in 1952, ''Aperture'' magazine is the flagship publication of Aperture Foundation.http://www.aperture.org/ (official site). ...

, “one of America’s Top 100 Collectors” by Art and Antiques Magazine, and “the most important privately held photo archive in the world” by New York’s

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

Books

The Burns Archive, through Burns Archive Press and other publishers, has published over 40 books in 40 years, including: * (2017) ''Setting Sun: Painted Photographs of Meiji Japan'', with Elizabeth A. Burns * (2017) ''Mensur & Schmiss: German Dueling Societies, A Photographic History'', Elizabeth A. Burns * (2014) ''Stiffs, Skulls, & Skeletons: Medical Photography and Symbolism'', with Elizabeth A. Burns * (2012) ''Mirror, Mirror: The Burns Collection Daguerreotypes'' * (2011) ''Shooting Soldiers: Civil War Medical Photography By R.B. Bontecou'' * (2011) ''Sleeping Beauty III: Memorial Photography: The Children'' * (2009) ''Ophthalmology: A Photographic History 1845-1945'', Volumes 1-4 * (2008) ''Deadly Intent: Crime and Punishment Photographs from the Burns Archive'' * (2008) ''News Art: The Manipulated Photographs from the Burns Archive'' * (2007) ''Nephrology: A Photographic History 1840-1950'', Volumes 1-4 * (2007) ''Seeing Insanity: Photography & The Depiction of Mental Illness'' * (2006) ''Geisha: A Photographic History 1872-1912'', with Elizabeth A. Burns * (2006) ''Patients & Promise: A Photographic History of Mental & Mood Disorders'', Vol 1-4 * (2005) ''Photographic History of Early Podiatry: Selections from the Burns Archive'' * (2005) ''Skin Pictures: Masterpiece Photographs Of Nineteenth Century Dermatology'', Volumes 1-4 * (2004) ''Oncology: Tumors & Treatment A Photographic History 1845-1945'', Volumes 1-4 * (2003) ''Respiratory Disease: A Photographic History, 1845-1945'' * (2002) ''Sleeping Beauty II: Grief, Bereavement and The Family In Memorial Photography'' with Elizabeth A. Burns * (2002) ''The American Dentist: A Pictorial History'' * (1998) ''American Surgery: An Illustrated History'' * (1998) ''A Morning's Work: Medical Photographs from The Burns Archive & Collection 1843-1939'' * (1995) ''Forgotten Marriage: The Painted Tintype & The Decorative Frame, 1860-1910, A Lost Chapter in American Portraiture'' * (1994) ''Harm's Way: Lust & Madness, Murder & Mayhem'', with Joel Peter Witkin * (1993) ''Face of Mercy: A Photographic History of Medicine at War'' * (1991) ''Photographie Et Medecine: 1840-1880'' * (1990) ''Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography in America'' * (1987) ''Masterpieces of Medical Photography: Selections from the Burns Archive'', with Joel Peter Witkin * (1983) ''American Medical Publication With Photographs'' (Monograph) New York State Journal of Medicine * (1983) ''Early Medical Photography in America: 1839-1883'' * (1980) ''Civil War Medical Photography'', (Monograph) New York State Journal of Medicine

Films

The Burns Archive has contributed images, as well as consulting and advisory services to various feature films, including: *'' The Others'', directed by

Alejandro Amenábar Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos (born March 31, 1972) is a Spanish-Chilean film director, screenwriter and composer. He has won nine Goya Award for Best Director, Goyas—including a Goya Award for Best Director for his 2001 film ''The Othe ...

, starring

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

*'' Total Recall'', starring

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

*'' Silence of the Lambs'', starring

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

and

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the ho ...

*''

'', directed by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

, starring Leonardo DiCaprio *''

Sleepers ''Sleepers'' is a 1996 American legal crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's 1995 book of the same name. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Ho ...

'', starring

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...

*'' Men in Black III'', starring

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...

*''

Looking for Richard ''Looking for Richard'' is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Al Pacino, in his directorial debut. It is a hybrid film, including both a filmed performance of selected scenes of William Shakespeare's '' Richard III'' and a documentary e ...

'', directed by

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...

*''

'', starring

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...

*''

Fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

'', starring

*''

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle ''Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle'' is a 1994 American biographical film, biographical drama (film and television), drama film directed by Alan Rudolph from a screenplay written by Rudolph and Randy Sue Coburn. The film stars Jennifer Jason Le ...

'', produced by

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

*''

The Haunting in Connecticut ''The Haunting in Connecticut'' is a 2009 supernatural horror film produced by Gold Circle Films and directed by Peter Cornwell. The film is alleged to be about Carmen Snedeker and her family, though Ray Garton, author of ''In a Dark Place: The ...

'', directed by Peter Cornwell *''

Mother Night ''Mother Night'' is a novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut, first published in February 1962. The title of the book is taken from Goethe's ''Faust'' (and ultimately from the Egyptian Goddess Nuit, mother of Osiris, Horus, Isis, Set, and Nephth ...

'', a film adaptation of the

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

novel *'' The Proposition'', written by

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ca ...

*'' Idlewild'', starring

André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi. B ...

Documentaries and television

The Burns Archive has contributed images, as well as consulting and advisory services, to various documentaries and television series, including: *''

'' via

, directed by

, starring

*'' The Civil War'' via

and

*'' Lincoln at Gettysburg'' via

*''

'' via

*''

The Poisoner's Handbook ''The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York'' is a ''New York Times'' best-selling non-fiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Deborah Blum that was released by Penguin Press in 2010. ...

'' via the

*''

Flight from Death ''Flight from Death'' (2003) is a documentary film that investigates the relationship of human violence to fear of death, as related to subconscious influences. The film describes death anxiety as a possible root cause of many human behaviors on a ...

'', directed by

Patrick Shen Patrick Shen (born 1975) is an American writer and director and producer. Shen is the founder of Transcendental Media. Documentaries Shen directed the Emmy-nominated documentary ''We Served With Pride: The Chinese American Experience in WWII'', ...

, a seven-time Best Documentary award-winning film *''

Who Do You Think You Are Who Do You Think You Are may refer to: Television series * ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (British TV series), a genealogy documentary with many adaptations: ** ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (American TV series) ** ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' ...

'' via NBC *''

'' via the

*''

History's Mysteries ''History's Mysteries'' is an American documentary television series that aired on the History Channel. Overview The 154 episodes of the series were produced from 1998 to 2011. Each season consisted of 12 to 14 one-hour episodes that focused on ...

'' via The

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

*''

'' with

Michael Baden Michael M. Baden (born July 27, 1934) is an American physician and board-certified forensic pathologist known for his work investigating high-profile deaths and as the host of HBO's ''Autopsy''. Baden was the chief medical examiner of the C ...

via

*''

Mercy Street "Mercy Street" is a song written by English musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album '' So''. Background and recording The song was inspired by the personal and confessional works of the American poet Anne Sexton, who wrote a play titled '' ...

'' via

References

{{Reflist, colwidth=30em

External links

The Burns Archive Blog

The Burns Archive

* ttp://theburnsarchive.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-sleeping-beauty-iii-website-new.html Sleeping Beauty III: Memorial Photography - The Children
The Burns Archive: A Collection of Historic Images that Uncover our Astonishing Past

From the Burns Archive: The Deadly Rays That Cured Cancer

"Stan Burns (Sleeping Beauty)" 2004 grid photograph by Stu Levy
Death customs History of photography Medical photography and illustration History of medicine Photo archives in the United Kingdom