Microscoopopname van het gehoororgaan van een mens before 1895

This is a microscopic photograph of a human ear made by Gustav Fritsch in Germany sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The image emerges from a moment when the institutions of science and art were deeply intertwined. As scientific observation became increasingly important, so did the need to accurately represent the natural world. Photography offered a new tool for scientific documentation. Thinkers like Fritsch were able to use the camera to explore the inner workings of the human body. The photograph gives us a glimpse into the power structures of the time. The technology required to create such an image was only available to those with access to specialized equipment and knowledge. The photograph, then, reflects a particular social and institutional context, and the scientific authority of the photographer. As historians, we can turn to archives and scientific publications to learn more about the cultural and institutional history of this image. Only then can we understand its significance in its own time and ours.