The Burns Archive
From the birth of photography through the modern age, The Burns Archive with over one million historic photographs is best known for providing photographic evidence of forgotten, unseen and disquieting aspects of history. The cornerstone of The Burns Archive is its unparalleled collection of early medical photography, but it is also renowned for its iconic images depicting the darker side of life: Death, Disease, Disaster, Mayhem, Crime, Racism, Revolution and War. Over the past forty years, thousands of publishers, exhibitors, authors, researchers, artists and filmmakers have utilized this unique source of visual documentation. Having produced dozens of books and having curated and contributed to frequent national and international museum and gallery exhibitions, The Burns Archive actively acquires, donates, researches, lectures, exhibits, consults, and shares its rare and unusual photographs and expertise worldwide.
Largest private archive of early medical photography (1847-1960), containing over 70,000 images related to the history of medicine, especially strong in nineteenth century imagery (daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, etc). Our library contains hundreds of original journals, especially those related to medical photography, 1865-1930. Several books and articles on various aspects of medical specialties have been published from the collection.