Prints and Negatives Series, circa 1920s-1930s

Scope and content:

The prints and negatives include images of men, women, and children with cases of syphilis, and a few images of x-rays of body parts, what appear to be microsope views of cells, and aerial images of one or more towns in Syria. Images of people focus on areas of the body with significant lesions, growths, or other obvious symptoms of syphilis. The images are grouped into envelopes within each folder, and most correspond to images featured in Hudson's monograph, with labeling on the envelopes indicating the figure number used in the book. Some of these images include the original envelopes in which they were apparently mailed to Ellis Hudson, which may have handwritten notes that include the name, age, and gender of the person in the image, as well as some information about their medical history. Many of the original images were cropped to focus on the symptomatic area, and envelopes may include the cropped or uncropped print, or both. The faces of people depicted in the images may appear in the original image.

Many unique original negatives were cellulose nitrate, which were digitized, then removed from the collection. Prints of those images, when present, have been retained. Some cellulose acetate film (safety film) remains in the collection.

The galley proofs include maps of Syria, and charts and tables documenting cases according to religion, sex, age, and place of residence. They were most likely taken during the 1920s and 1930s when Hudson was conducting his principal research in Syria.

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