Dr. Harvey Cushing (1869-1939) was America’s first specialist in neurosurgery. He not only developed a baseline for how brain surgery is conducted to this day, but he also pioneered the use of techniques like X-rays for tumours and helped to develop the electrocautery tool with physicist William T. Bovie. Between 1900 – 1932, he photographed his patients as they healed from brain surgery, and took over 10,000 photographs over the course of his career. His patients had a high survival rate for what was a very dangerous procedure. These photos are haunting and artistic in the lighting and poses, and the subjects are expressive and melancholic. No one here looks happy that they’re alive. They all look like they’ve been through a deeply harrowing experience that they may never recover from. Check out a collection of Dr. Cushing’s patient portraits here:
