J. Marion Sims: Gynecologic Surgeon, from "The History of Medicine"
Item
Creator
Thom, Robert
Title
J. Marion Sims: Gynecologic Surgeon, from "The History of Medicine"
Description
The illustration J. Marion Sims: Gynecologic Surgeon is just one medical “moment” in the thematic collection Great Moments in Medicine, produced between 1948 and 1964. Established commercial artist Robert Thom produced the Normal Rockwell-like illustrations, whereas George A. Bender, Parke-Davis pharmacist, composed the accompanying text. Bender’s description for J. Marion Sims: Gynecological Surgeon centers less on the work’s true subject—the patient, an Alabama slave known only by her first name, Lucy—and more on the heroic and mythical biography of James Marion Sims, the so-called “father of gynecology.” A portion of Bender’s troubling description (below) served as the illustration’s official caption since its accession to the collection of the University of Michigan Health System.
Date
1952
Source
UMMA Exchange
Contributor
Viar, Anastasia
Spatial Coverage
4 ft. 8 13/16 in. x 46 in. (144.15 x 116.84 cm)