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The medical archives holds over 1,000,000 photographic items dating from the late 19th century to the present.  These collections reflect the daily use of photography within an academic health institution and encompass many genres, including biomedical, clinical, documentary, corporate, architectural, and portrait photography.  The collections also encompass many historic and current photographic processes, including cased photographs, card photographs, photomicrographs, glass plate negatives and slides, albumen, platinum, and gelatin silver prints, color photographic prints, transparencies, and slides, digitally produced prints, and born-digital photographs.   

The photograph collections are arranged either topically or by office or department of origin.  To browse the finding aids to our major photograph collections, explore the list below.  To search for specific types of photographs among all collections, use the online catalog.  Please note that although many photographs are digitized and viewable through the online catalog, many are not. To search the online catalog for photographs, use the Type pull-down menu and select image.  To search for only photographs that have been digitized, use the digital content only checkbox when searching. To access photographs that are not digitized, you may schedule an appointment to view the photographs in our reading room, or request photocopies or scans of photographs for a fee. Visit our reproduction fees page for more information. Appointments and other reference inquiries can be made through our online registration form. 

Major Photographic Collections

Explore finding aids to our major photographic collections.  Additional photographic series may be found in larger personal paper collections and institutional records. 

Medical students at work in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine laboratory, 1971. Photographer unknown.

Employees at work in Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Room Diagnostic Immunology laboratory, circa 1984 Photographer unknown.

Detail of HeLa cell. image number 61‑16, 1961. Photomicrograph by George O. Gey.

Johns Hopkins Hospital Sterile Supply employee measuring and preparing tubing, circa 1956. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Terry George, Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute photographer, and Marianne Medura, ophthalmic technician, demonstrating ocular photomicrography using a specular microscope and 35mm. camera, circa 1981.

Surgeon and nurse checking on infant in recovery room, circa 1975.

Janis Collins, Johns Hopkins Hospital nursing student, reviewing a patient chart with unknown physician, circa 1968. Photographer unknown.

Johns Hopkins Hospital nursing student at bedside examining a patient with a stethoscope, 1967. Photographer unknown.

Surgical technician training course at Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1967. Photograph by Richard W. Linfield.

Basic science class at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, circa 1959. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Physician examining a child at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health Maternal and Child Health Clinic, 1959. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Technician at work in Tissue Culture Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1957. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Johns Hopkins Hospital laboratory technician at work with microscope, 1959. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Clerk in the Johns Hopkins Hospital switchboard office information center working with a master file of inpatients, teletype receiver, and multi-button telephone set, 1960. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Patricia Charache, microbiologist, recording specimen information in a laboratory notebook, 1972. Photographer unknown.

Medical students at work in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine laboratory, 1971. Photographer unknown.

Employees at work in Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Room Diagnostic Immunology laboratory, circa 1984 Photographer unknown.

Detail of HeLa cell. image number 61‑16, 1961. Photomicrograph by George O. Gey.

Johns Hopkins Hospital Sterile Supply employee measuring and preparing tubing, circa 1956. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Terry George, Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute photographer, and Marianne Medura, ophthalmic technician, demonstrating ocular photomicrography using a specular microscope and 35mm. camera, circa 1981.

Surgeon and nurse checking on infant in recovery room, circa 1975.

Janis Collins, Johns Hopkins Hospital nursing student, reviewing a patient chart with unknown physician, circa 1968. Photographer unknown.

Johns Hopkins Hospital nursing student at bedside examining a patient with a stethoscope, 1967. Photographer unknown.

Surgical technician training course at Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1967. Photograph by Richard W. Linfield.

Basic science class at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, circa 1959. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Physician examining a child at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health Maternal and Child Health Clinic, 1959. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Technician at work in Tissue Culture Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1957. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Johns Hopkins Hospital laboratory technician at work with microscope, 1959. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Clerk in the Johns Hopkins Hospital switchboard office information center working with a master file of inpatients, teletype receiver, and multi-button telephone set, 1960. Photograph by Richard C. Thompson.

Patricia Charache, microbiologist, recording specimen information in a laboratory notebook, 1972. Photographer unknown.

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