With a perspective shaped by recent work in art history and the sociology of knowledge, the authors encourage the reader to analyze photographs as complicated historical documents. They argue that, while photographs may appear to be literal depictions of reality, they actually pose problems of historical interpretation. The authors take as their subject matter the representation of medicine in photographs taken in Britain and the United States for 1840 through the present day. The text explores the representations of medicine made by photographers and their employers and the ways that audiences through the years have interpreted their messages. At the core of the book is a concern with the way that medicine has used photography to portray itself. The authors believe that the camera was one of several powerful means through which the professional image of orthodox medicine has been made public. Photographs represented the growing power and prestige of the medical profession and the increasing presence of medicine in daily life. This work also demonstrates the way public perceptions of medicine have changed through time. Early photographs of medicine depicted sick people in portraits like those of any other individuals and portrayed domesticity in hospitals. Gradually, however, medicine was depicted as a different and specialized realm, particularly exemplified in the portrayal of surgery. With the rise of photojournalism at the beginning of the 1930s patients were increasingly depicted as the central focus of activity. Although the subject matter varied, the authors argue that the intent was usually the same - to convey messages about the power of medicine.