Kale plek op het hoofd van een kind veroorzaakt door ringworm before 1878

This image, "Bald spot on a child's head caused by ringworm" is an early example of medical photography, printed in a book. What strikes me is the way that photography, in its relative reproducibility, provided an opportunity to disseminate medical knowledge widely. The image itself is created through a blend of scientific observation and artistic composition. It is an anonymous work, and the focus on the disease rather than the individual speaks to the way that individuals were often treated as test subjects. This use of photography raises questions about power dynamics within society, and the labour behind the image, from the child photographed, the photographer, and the printer, as the purpose of the image is to spread the knowledge of a disease to the masses. By considering the historical and social context in which it was made, we come to understand how scientific advancements and labour combine.