The Extraordinary Body: From Spectacle to Medical Case

S. Dellmann; Ine van Dooren

The Extraordinary Body: From Spectacle to Medical Case

S. Dellmann
, Ine van Dooren

ICON - Media and Performance Studies

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › Other research output

Abstract

Around 1900, a shift in the understanding of the extraordinary human body occurred in the western world. The understanding of physically different humans beings, such as people born with additional or fewer limbs, Siamese twins or uncommon skin surface slowly shifted from a sensational stare on the so-called “freak” to a medical case. New insights into genetics enabled medial specialist (to some degree) to explain and control extraordinary human body shapes by “treating” the difference in the name of technological or medical progress, while humans with extraordinary bodies were part of attractional display wide into the twentieth century.
Through a comparative case study of mass-produced cabinet cards, lantern slide sets and films of early cinema, we will show how visual strategies and media practices added different meaning to the extraordinary human body.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Jun 2016
Event	14th International Domitor Conference: Viscera, Skin, and Physical Form: Corporeality and Early Cinema - Film House (Filmhuset) at The Swedish Film Institute (Svenska Filminstitutet) , Stockholm, Sweden Duration: 14 Jun 2016 → 17 Jun 2016 Conference number: 14 http://domitor.org/

Conference

Conference	14th International Domitor Conference
Abbreviated title	14th International Domitor Conference
Country/Territory	Sweden
City	Stockholm
Period	14/06/16 → 17/06/16
Internet address	http://domitor.org/

Keywords

early cinema
visual culture
Disability
freak show
lantern slides
cabinet cards

Cite this

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title = "The Extraordinary Body: From Spectacle to Medical Case",

abstract = "Around 1900, a shift in the understanding of the extraordinary human body occurred in the western world. The understanding of physically different humans beings, such as people born with additional or fewer limbs, Siamese twins or uncommon skin surface slowly shifted from a sensational stare on the so-called {\textquotedblleft}freak{\textquotedblright} to a medical case. New insights into genetics enabled medial specialist (to some degree) to explain and control extraordinary human body shapes by {\textquotedblleft}treating{\textquotedblright} the difference in the name of technological or medical progress, while humans with extraordinary bodies were part of attractional display wide into the twentieth century. Through a comparative case study of mass-produced cabinet cards, lantern slide sets and films of early cinema, we will show how visual strategies and media practices added different meaning to the extraordinary human body. ",

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T1 - The Extraordinary Body: From Spectacle to Medical Case

AU - Dellmann, S.

AU - van Dooren, Ine

N1 - Conference code: 14

PY - 2016/6

Y1 - 2016/6

N2 - Around 1900, a shift in the understanding of the extraordinary human body occurred in the western world. The understanding of physically different humans beings, such as people born with additional or fewer limbs, Siamese twins or uncommon skin surface slowly shifted from a sensational stare on the so-called “freak” to a medical case. New insights into genetics enabled medial specialist (to some degree) to explain and control extraordinary human body shapes by “treating” the difference in the name of technological or medical progress, while humans with extraordinary bodies were part of attractional display wide into the twentieth century. Through a comparative case study of mass-produced cabinet cards, lantern slide sets and films of early cinema, we will show how visual strategies and media practices added different meaning to the extraordinary human body.

AB - Around 1900, a shift in the understanding of the extraordinary human body occurred in the western world. The understanding of physically different humans beings, such as people born with additional or fewer limbs, Siamese twins or uncommon skin surface slowly shifted from a sensational stare on the so-called “freak” to a medical case. New insights into genetics enabled medial specialist (to some degree) to explain and control extraordinary human body shapes by “treating” the difference in the name of technological or medical progress, while humans with extraordinary bodies were part of attractional display wide into the twentieth century. Through a comparative case study of mass-produced cabinet cards, lantern slide sets and films of early cinema, we will show how visual strategies and media practices added different meaning to the extraordinary human body.

KW - early cinema

KW - visual culture

KW - Disability

KW - freak show

KW - lantern slides

KW - cabinet cards

M3 - Paper

T2 - 14th International Domitor Conference

Y2 - 14 June 2016 through 17 June 2016

ER -

The Extraordinary Body: From Spectacle to Medical Case

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

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Cite this