Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

FLASH BULB

Date

1979

Materials

PLASTIC, PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

1.6

Length

12.4

Width

11.2

Description

RECTANGULAR BLUE PLASTIC FLASH ARRAY IN RAINBOW COLORED BOX. TOP OF BOX BACKING IS WHITE WITH "POLAROID" AND "1-ARRAY -10-FLASHES". BOX THEN HAS BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, ORANGE AND PINK STRIPES. END OF BOX READS "USE WITH POLAROID SX-70 LAND FILM". ON BACK OF BOX IS DIAGRAM OF CAMERA AND INSTRUCTIONS IN 6 LANGUAGES INCLUDING JAPANESE. ALSO HAS SMALL BLACK PRINT WHICH READS "MADE IN U.S.A. FOR POLAROID CORPORATION, CAMBRIDGE, MA., 02139 OWNER OF THE TRADEMARKS "POLAROID" AND "SX-70". PX 1440A 3/79". PAPER BACK HAS SEVERAL BEND CREASES.

Subjects

LIGHTING DEVICE

PHOTOGRAPHIC T&E

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

FLASHES WERE USED WITH THE MORGUE CAMERA (P19960116069-GA) AT ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL. FLASHES WERE REMOVED WITH CAMERA BEFORE THE HOSPITAL WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1996. FOR MORE HISTORY ON HOSPITAL SEE P19960116001-GA. GENERAL PATHOLOGIST DR. ROD MACKAY WAS ONE OF MANY PERSONS WHO USED THE POLAROID CAMERA (CAT NO. P19960116069) AT ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL. HE WORKED THERE FROM 1976 UNTIL IT CLOSED IN 1996. IN JANUARY 2007, MACKAY INFORMED UOFL MUSEUM STUDENTS THAT THE CAMERA FULFILLED A GENERAL PURPOSE FUNCTION. IT BELONGED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT AND COULD BE SIGNED OUT BY ANYONE WHO NEEDED IT. GALT STAFF LOCATED THE CAMERA IN THE AUTOPSY ROOM OF THE HOSPITAL IN 1996 WHILE THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF PACKING UP HUNDREDS OF MEDICAL RELATED OBJECTS FOR DONATION. IN THE SPECIFIC CASE OF AUTOPSY USE, THE CAMERA WOULD HAVE BEEN OPERATED BY AN ASSISTANT WHO WOULD HAVE WORKED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A GOWNED AND GLOVED PATHOLOGIST. ASSISTANTS OPERATED THE CAMERA DURING THE AUTOPSY, VERSUS THE DOCTOR, ON ACCOUNT THAT THE DOCTOR DID NOT WANT TO CONTAMINATE THE CAMERA OR THE POLAROID PHOTOS. ASSISTANTS HAD TO BE DILIGENT ABOUT MAINTAINING THEIR OWN HAND CLEANLINESS DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY INVOLVED IN DECONTAMINATION AND BECAUSE THE CAMERA WAS ALSO USED BY OTHER STAFF SUCH AS NURSES - WHO TOOK PICTURES OF PATIENTS OR SPECIAL EVENTS. DR. MACKAY DID NOT FEEL THAT THE POLAROID CAMERA WAS SPECIAL OR HAD A SIGNIFICANT FUNCTION, BUT WAS SIMPLY A GENERAL PURPOSE, PUBLIC TOOL. THE ONLY PRACTICAL ADVANTAGE RELATED TO THE CAMERA WAS MACKAY’S KNOWLEDGE THAT THE IMMEDIATELY DEVELOPED PHOTO WAS OK WHICH, WAS AN ADVANTAGE - VERSUS DEVELOPMENT TIME OF STANDARD 35 MM - ON ACCOUNT THAT RE-TAKING PICTURES WAS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE. THE POLAROID IMAGES PRODUCED IN THE AUTOPSY ROOM WERE STORED FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS AND, WHEN THE DESIGNATED NUMBER OF YEARS WAS UP, THE DOCTOR ORDERED THE PHOTOS DESTROYED. ALL THE OTHER PICTURES OF GENERAL THINGS TAKEN BY OTHER PEOPLE ARE UNKNOWN AS TO THEIR WHEREABOUTS SINCE THEY HAD NO MEDICAL OR LEGAL VALUE TO ANYONE. DR. MACKAY DOES NOT RECALL ANY SPECIFIC STORIES RELATED TO THE POLAROID CAMERA.

Catalogue Number

P19960116070

Acquisition Date

1996-01

Collection

Museum

Less detail