Researchers interested in the history of the health sciences who are looking for still images on the topic should be sure to explore the resources held by Archives & Special Collections. This unit of the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library, located in Room 111 on Lower Level 1 in the Hammer Building, holds over 100,000 images, including photographs, prints, and book illustrations, covering a wide range of topics dating back to the 15^th century.

Photographs: The Archives & Special Collections contain thousands of photographs, largely documenting the people, buildings, and events of Columbia University's four health science schools (Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons,  School of Nursing, Mailman School of Public Health, and the College of Dental Medicine) and their affiliated hospitals (NewYork-Presbyterian, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Orthopedics, Neurological Institute of New York, and New York State Psychiatric Institute). Some photographs were created by members of the various medical center departments, while others came to us along with personal papers. The earliest images are from the 1860s, but the bulk date from 1920-2010. Over 10,000 of these photographs have been already been digitized and the department is constantly adding more to its online collections.

Prints: The largest collection of prints found in the Archives & Special Collections is comprised of portraits of prominent figures, largely physicians, from ancient times to the mid-20^th century. The quality of these prints varies greatly, from actual engravings and woodcuts to illustrations cut from relatively recent books and journals. Other collections of pints include the Department of Ophthalmology Medical Illustrations (1911-1973), which contains nearly 3,000 drawings of eye conditions and diseases, as well as the Auchincloss Florence Nightingale Collection, a small collection of prints related to Florence Nightingale and places associated with her. Both the ophthalmology drawings and the Auchincloss Collection prints have been fully digitized. Most of our other prints are not yet available digitally, but upon request we can scan prints of interest, condition permitting, for a small fee.

Books: Archives & Special Collections’ extensive collection of about 27,000 rare books in the history of the health sciences dates from 1476 to the 20^th century and holds many extensively illustrated volumes. Though the collection is strongest in anatomical and surgical classics, it covers a wide range of biomedical subjects. While the fragility of many of the volumes often prevents us from scanning images from them, we can often take photographs of these images for a small fee.

For more information about this rich resource for images, please consult the Photographs and Prints page on the Archives & Special Collections website.