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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/nightingalessongOOhelf the NIGHTINGALE'S SONG NURSES AND NURSING IN THE ARS MEDICA COLLECTION ofthe PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART William H. Helfand PHILADELPHIAMUSEUMOFART PublishedontheoccasionofanexhibitionatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt, August26-October29,2000 Thispublicationwasmadepossibleby BayadaNurses inassociationwiththeCenterfortheStudyoftheHistoryofNursing,Universityof PennsylvaniaSchoolofNursing. Cover:Detailofapostcard(no.70).TheWilliamH.HelfandCollection.1999-18-53 ProducedbytheDepartmentofPublishing PhiladelphiaMuseumofArt BenjaminfranklinParkwayat26thStreet P.O.Box7646 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania19101-7646 EditedbyMorgenCheshire DesignedbyTsangSeymourDesign,Inc.,NewYork PrincipalphotographybyLynnRosenthal,additionalphotographybyJoan Broderick,AndrewHarkins,andGraydonWood SeparationsbyMercantile/ImagePress,Inc. ProductionmanagedbyRichBonk PrintedandboundbyMercantile/ImagePress,Inc. Copyright©2000bythePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedina retrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechani- cal,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutpriorpermission,inwriting,of thePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt. LibraryofCongressCataloguing-in-PublicationData Helfand,WilliamH. Thenightingale'ssong:nursesandnursingintheArsMedicaCollectionof thePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt/WilliamH.Helfand. p.cm. PublishedontheoccasionofanexhibitionheldatthePhiladelphiaMuseum ofArt,Aug.25-Oct.29,2000. Includesindex. ISBNO-87633-I4I-X 1.Nursinginart-Exhibitions.2.Nursesinart-Exhibitions.3.Art- Pennsylvania-Philadelphia-Exhibitions.4.ArsMedicaCollection(Philadelphia Pa.(-Exhibitions.5.PhiladelphiaMuseumofArt-Exhibitions.I.Philadelphia MuseumArt.II.Title. N8233.N87H452000 704.9'496l073'o74748n-dc21 00-057454 isbn0-87633-141-x PrintedandboundintheUnitedStatesofAmerica CONTENTS Foreword 4 The Nightingale's Song by william h. helfand 5 Catalogue Advertising 8 TheMidwife 15 AtSurgeon'sSide 22 HospitalsandClinics 29 AttendingthePatient 35 AtWork 46 AttendingtheMilitary 53 Politics 70 Index 80 4 FOREWORD EstablishedbyagrantfromSmithKlineBeechamtotheDepartmentofPrints, Drawings,andPhotographsin 1949,theArsMedicaCollectionofthePhiladelphia MuseumofArthasbeencarefullynurturedbyasuccessionofdonorsandcurators formorethanfiftyyears,sothatitsholdingsnownumbermorethanthreethou- sandworks.Suchsubjectsasbirthanddeath,infancyandoldage,sicknessand healthhavealwaysprovokedasprofoundaresponsefromtheartistorpoetasfrom thedoctororscientist.Generationsofartists,bothfamousandunknown,havebeen irresistiblydrawntotheseuniversalthemes,producinganunendingstreamofworks ofartonpaper.TheArsMedicaCollection,theonlyoneofitskindinamajorart museum,inturnaffordsthepossibilityofanunendingstreamofprovocativeand illuminatingprojects. Thisisthethirdcataloguepublishedinrecentyearstoaccompanyanexhibition drawnentirelyfromtheMuseumsArsMedicaCollectionthatisdedicatedtoaspe- cifictopic.In 1995Pills,Potions,andPurgestreatedthesubjectofpharmacy,fol- lowedin 1999byCrowningAchievements,ondentistry.TheNightingale'sSong, whosetitleistakenfromthecoverofanineteenth-centurysongsheetinthepresent exhibition(no.47),addressesthefascinatinghistoryofnursesandnursingovera periodofmorethanfivehundredyears.Theorganizationofallthreeexhibitions andthewritingoftheircatalogueshasbeenundertakenbyWilliamH.Helfand,an authorityonartandmedicine,whoseowncollectionsreflectadeepunderstanding ofthesubject.Onceagainwecanbegratefulnotonlyforthewitandinsightthat Mr.Helfandbringstobearontheindividualprints,drawings,andphotographs selectedfortheexhibition,butalsoforhisunstintinggenerosityinpartingwithso manymarvelousworksfromhisowncollectioninordertoenrichtheMuseum's holdingsforthepermanentbenefitofitspublic. Anned'Harnoncourt TheGeorgeD.WidenerDirector 5 the NIGHTINGALE'S SONG Whiletheemergenceofnursingasaprofessiondidnotreallyoccuruntilthelate nineteenthcentury,thecareofchildrenandthesick,injured,andwoundedis instinctiveanddatesfromearlyhistory.Evidenceofnursingproceduressuchas theuseofbandagesandbleedingcanbetracedtobothprimitivesocietiesand earlycivilizations.Biblicalwritingsdiscusstheimportanceofhygieneand sanitationandHippocratesinhiswritingsgivespracticaladviceoncaringforthe sick.WiththeadventofChristianity,nursingactivitiesinhospitals,generallyallied withplacesofworship,begantogrowinimportanceintheWest;bythefourth centuryconvertsincludedwealthyRomanwomenwhosehomesbecamecentersfor administeringhealthcare.Butsuchwomenandsuchsettingswereexceptional,for thenursewasgenerallyanuntrainedslave,adomesticservant,orawomanoflow socialstanding.In 1634SaintVincentdePaulfoundedtheFillesdeCharite(Sisters ofCharity)toprovidetrainingforhomevisits,hospitalexperience,andcareofthe sick.Itwasnotuntil 1846,however,thatahospitalandschool,aninstitutefor Protestantdeaconesses,wasestablishedinKaiserswerth,Germany,andprovidedfor- maltrainingfornurses.Mid-nineteenth-centuryreformsreshapedthedutiesofthe nurseintoaprofessionwithdemandingstandards.Suchreformswerealongtimein coming,andwerelargelyprovokedbytheabsenceofpropernursingcareduring war,whenbattlefieldconditionsleadtoexcessivelossoflife.In 1860,ayoung — EnglishgraduateoftheinstituteinKaiserswerth,FlorenceNightingale whohad alsospenttimewiththeSistersofCharityinAlexandria,Egypt,andwhowassentto — theCrimeatocreateanursingserviceforBritishsoldiers foundedthefirstschool designedwiththeprimaryobjectivetotrainnurses,amilestoneformodern nursing.Sheheldthepositionthatnursingservicesshouldbeprofessionally administered,aprinciplethatwasinstrumentalinbringingaboutneededchange. Imagesofnursingareamajorcomponentofthelargeandgrowingholdingsof prints,drawings,andphotographsintheArsMedicaCollectionatthePhiladelphia MuseumofArt.Whenseenasagroup,theymarkthedevelopmentoftheprofes- sion,revealingearlierpracticesofchildbirth,hospitalcare,andsurgicalprocedures. Inearlyprints,midwivesdeliverbabiesincrowdedquarters,thesickaresponged withvinegarandspices,woundsarebandagedonbattlefieldsbywomeninhoop- skirts,andstudentsinstreetclothesobserveasurgicaloperation.Onlyinlater imagesdofemalenurseswearstarcheduniforms,whicheventodayarenolonger wornforthemostpart.Itisalsolaterthatmalenursesbegintoappearinimages withgreaterfrequencyasinMatthewBrady'sphotographofWaltWhitman(no.62), whoservedasavolunteernurseinWashington,D.C.duringtheCivilWar. Notsurprisingly,imagesofnursingcarearemoreprevalentduringwartimewhen thereisagreaterneedfornursingservices.DuringWorldWarIpostcardsbearing imagesofnursesweremailedtofamiliesandfriendsbackhome,wherenurseson posterscalledforvolunteersandreinforcedtheneedforemergencymedicalsup- plies.Andnineteenth-centurysongsheets,manywithimagesofidealizednurseson theircovers,commemoratedbattlefieldevents,forexample,"TheNightingale's Song"(no.47),whichcelebratesFlorenceNightingale'sexploitsduringtheCrimean War.ThelistofsuchsubjectsexpandedgreatlyduringthetwoWorldWars.Inother — wartimeimages,depictionsoftheexecutionofnurseEdithCavell anEnglish nurseandheadofthenursingstaffattheBerkendaelMedicalInstituteduringWorld — WarIwhohelpedAlliedprisonerscrosstheDutchfrontier makescathingpolitical statementsinaseriesofpostcards(no.84)andinaprintbyGeorgeBellows(no.85). Theimagesinthiscollectionalsoreflectpublicattitudestowardtheprofession. Duringwarespecially,nurseswereoftenportrayedasheroicorangelicfigures. Cavellisportrayedasarobedmartyr,andMadonna-likenurseswereusedon posterstoadvertisemedicalproductsandcallforcontributionstothewareffort. Thesong"WearersoftheLittleGreyCloak"(no.48)praisesthenurseswhoserved intheBoerWarfortheir"loveandcare,"anditscoverpresentsthemasbraveand attentive.Butevenoutofthecontextofwar,nursesweredepictedaspioneersand defenders:photographsbyW.EugeneSmithfromasuitepublishedinLifemagazine laudtheeffortsandthethirty-yearcareerofMaudeCallen,aSouthCarolina 7 midwife(nos. 12and 13).InaposterurgingItalianstomakedonations,aRedCross nursecourageouslyslaystuberculosis,depictedasaglobe-encirclingdragon(no.8). Whereasmorerecentimagesdepictthenurseasbrave,heroic,andcompassion- ate,depictionsofnurseswerenotalwayssofavorable.Priortoprofessionalization nurseswerenotalwaysheldinhighesteem,andtheirimagesconsequentlyreflect thisrelativelypoorperception.Nursesappearslovenly,oftenseemingtocarevery littleforthepatientintheircharge.CharlesDickens'sSaireyGamp,anuneducated andfrequentlyinebriatedcharacterfrom TheLifeandAdventuresofMartin Chnzzlewit(1844)istheliterarycomplementofthenursepokedfunofinFee,Fa, Fumand TheNurse(no.39).Whiletherehavebeenseveralfactorsresponsiblefor thechangeinpublicattitudestowardnursesandinnurses'ownattitudestoward theirprofession,thedevelopmentofformalandtechnology-basedtrainingpro- gramshasperhapshadthemostpositiveinfluenceontheimageoftheprofession. Todaynursesareuniversityeducatedandhavehadhospitalexperiencebefore embarkingontheircareers.Theimageofthemodernnurse,reflectedinmore recentworks,retainsthereputationofcaregiver,coupledwiththeimageof dedicatedprofessional. Theprints,drawings,andphotographsinthisexhibitionhavebeenchosenfrom amuchlargergroupofworkstocelebratetheactivitiesoftheCenterfortheStudy oftheHistoryofNursingattheUniversityofPennsylvania.Togethertheygive abundantvisualevidenceofthecare,nurture,andsupportnurseshavealwaysgiven tosociety,andhonortheircontinuingcommitmenttothebettermentofall. WilliamH.Helfand ADVERTISING 8 I HowtoFeedChildren, 1896 JosephJ.Gould,Jr.(American,active Philadelphia,c. 1880-c. 1935) Colorlithograph;image153/sx10" (39.1 x25.4cm) PrintedbyJ.B.LippincottCo.,Philadelphia Giftofananonymousdonor.1974-219-124 ThefirsteditionofLouiseE.Hogan'sbookHow toFeedChildren:AManualforMothers,Nurses, andPhysiciansappearedin 1896;itproved immenselypopular,reachingitstenth,butnot final,editionin 1923.Itschaptersdiscussedlax- ativefoods,summerdiets,brothsandsoups,fat infood,travelingoutfitsandrelatedthemes. Lippincottadvertisedthefirstprintingwiththis redandwhiteposter. 2 Galakton,c. 1900 EdwardPenfield(American,1866-1925) Colorlithograph;image17x11 }A"(43.2x29.8cm) PurchasedwiththeSmithKlineBeckman(nowSmithKlineBeecham)FundfortheArsMedica Collection. 1971-6-1 Penfield'suseofflatareasinthisadvertisingposterowesagreatdealtothelookofJapanesewoodblock prints,whichbecamepopularintheWestatthecloseofthenineteenthcentury.Thepackageand labeledbottleofGalaktonareshownthreedimensionally,toemphasizetheirimportance.Galakton, similartotoday'sEnsure,wasoneofagroupofproducts,includingMellin'sFoodandNestlesFood, intendedforconvalescents,infants,andolderpeople.