Patiënten lijdend aan de huidziekte 'zoster pectoralis' en 'zoster lumbalis' before 1881

These photographs of patients suffering from 'zoster pectoralis' and 'zoster lumbalis' - likely shingles - were made anonymously as part of a medical record. The image speaks to the history of medicine, where the documentation of disease became increasingly visual and standardized. These visual records often served multiple purposes: educating medical professionals, standardizing diagnostic criteria, and contributing to a growing archive of medical knowledge. Think about the social context of healthcare at the time they were made. Who had access to medical treatment, and how were the experiences of patients documented and shared within the medical community? Understanding the institutional context behind images like this gives us insight into power dynamics, social inequalities, and cultural attitudes towards illness and the body. This kind of historical research relies on a variety of archives and collections to piece together the story of how medical knowledge has been constructed and circulated.