Sir William Jenner, Bart., K.C.B., M.D., F.R.S. c. 1876 - 1881

Here we see Herbert Rose Barraud's portrait of Sir William Jenner, likely crafted as a photographic print to be included in a book. Jenner was a physician to Queen Victoria, and a leader in the medical establishment. The portrait is part of a larger history of constructing and maintaining gendered power structures in professional and public life. Jenner’s severe gaze and formal attire represent an archetype of male authority. During this time, medicine was becoming increasingly professionalized, excluding women and solidifying a male-dominated hierarchy. The photograph's presence in a book allows us to consider how images circulated and reinforced ideas about class and professional identity. It makes me think about how medical knowledge and authority were disseminated. The image is both a personal memento and a public declaration of Jenner's status and achievements.