Patiënten lijdend aan de huidziekte 'molluscum' before 1881

This printed page shows photographs of patients suffering from Molluscum Contagiosum. The images were created with photographic processes involving the treatment of paper with photosensitive chemicals, a technology that boomed in the late 19th century due to its use in the fields of medicine, criminology, and journalism. The images show a child's face and leg, marked by the effects of the disease. Medical photography depended on the control and standardisation of images for the treatment and research of patients, as well as for documenting disease. This scientific approach to the body contrasts with the history of art, where the body has been considered as a locus of expression. The medical purpose of the photographic medium, in this case, flattens the idea of art-making, by recording and documenting the epidemic as an instrument of the clinic. Looking at the photographs brings up questions about the power of images in the medical field. This use of photography emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical and social context of visual materials.