Physicians's Saddle Bag c. 1939

Editor: Here we have Ray Price’s “Physician's Saddle Bag,” created around 1939, a drawing in pencil and coloured pencil. It’s incredibly detailed, almost like an instruction manual diagram, but more delicate. What’s your take on this unusual portrait of a tool? Curator: What strikes me is how this drawing elevates a utilitarian object, imbuing it with a sense of importance. In the late 1930s, there was a strong focus on documenting American industry and tools, often celebrated as symbols of progress and resilience, particularly during the Depression. The meticulous detail hints at the respect, even reverence, for the physician’s role in society. Does the bag itself suggest anything about the physician’s position in their community? Editor: It seems incredibly…organized. I’m guessing doctors carried everything they needed. Makes me wonder about access to healthcare in rural areas at that time. Curator: Exactly! This saddlebag probably represents the accessibility – or inaccessibility – of medical care. What sort of politics might be inferred through something as benign as this tool for the job? Editor: That’s fascinating! I never would have considered the politics embedded in this representation of an everyday object, much less healthcare disparities. I suppose it reflects the social responsibility tied to the medical profession. Curator: Precisely! Price's rendering encourages viewers to consider both the history and implications of this saddle bag – a tool carrying with it health and socioeconomic baggage in a society facing immense change. It’s not just about the bag, but about the power dynamic inherent in providing medical care. Editor: Wow, I'll never look at still life the same way again! It highlights how objects carry so much social meaning.