Throughout the history of comics, the visual stories of health, illness, and medical practice complement the traditional history of medicine. Spanning from the origins of comics to contemporary works of graphic medicine, this exhibit traces a unique visual history of the illness experience and the evolution of Western healthcare practices and broadens our understanding of how the history of medicine is constructed. Drawn from serialized prints, illustrated newspapers and magazines, comic books, zines, digital comics and graphic memoirs, the depictions of sufferers of illness, practitioners, and clinical interactions provide commentary, both critical and complementary, on medical progress and professionalization from a variety of perspectives. Situated within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this exhibition connects the historical tension between skepticism of and confidence in science and medicine with contemporary concerns.
Open to the public with proof of COVID-19 vaccination. See details at https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/borrow/access-privileges/covid-19-information-for-visitors/