Ethics of medical photography explored in project by School of History of researcher
A researcher at the School of History has completed a two-year project examining how to display, care for and work with historical medical photographs in an ethical way.
Dr Katherine Rawling was a co-investigator on the two-year project – The Ethics of Medical Photography, Past, Present and Future – which was led by Dr Beatriz Pichel (PI, De Montfort University) and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
The project brought together a multidisciplinary network of historians of photography, medicine and colonialism, philosophers, social scientists, archivists and heritage professionals, and photographers, in partnership with the Wellcome Collection.
Between summer 2024 and autumn 2026, Dr Rawling and Dr Pichel organised three collections management workshops (at the Wellcome Collection, V&A and Bart’s Health Archives); six online research seminars hosting 18 speakers; a public engagement zine making workshop at the Wellcome; and a collection of medical photograph case studies. They also hosted nine early career researchers from the UK and Europe for a skills development workshop at De Montfort University.
The project culminated in the launch of the Ethics of Medical Photography Toolkit, a resource designed to support the ethical decision-making of anyone encountering historical medical photographs.
Dr Rawling said: “Our toolkit is for everyone who encounters historical medical photographs in any capacity, including any researcher or visitor to archives and museums, as well as the wide range of GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Museums and Archives) professionals who care for and provide access to medical photography collections.
“At the heart of the resource is the idea that engaging with ethical considerations isn’t just morally vital; it enriches our scholarship and practice. Our aim is not to restrict and limit the engagement with and circulation of historical medical photographs, but to empower users and custodians to ask difficult questions and assess a variety of potential actions and outcomes.
“As a living document, we expect it to change and evolve with time. We also recommend readers to come back to it when new issues arise.”
Dr Rawling and Dr Pichel are working on a journal special issue and the development of a larger international project.
