"Birth of Radiology"
Limited Edition Commemorative Print
by
John L. Wilson
On November 8, 1895, Professor Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen made a discovery in Germany that
would forever change the world. He discovered x-ray. He was tremendously
excited about the discovery, but took several weeks to more fully investigate
the "new rays." His discovery is presented in a paper dated December 28,
1895: "Ueber eine neue Art von Strahlen" ("On a New Type of Ray"). Word of
the discovery excitedly spanned the globe, arriving in the United States just
a few days afterward.
Caring for patients in a midwestern community, four general radiologists along with an associate, commissioned a nationally known artist from South Dakota to create an oil painting for their office to commemorate the centennial of Röntgen's discovery of x-ray in 1895. Having received interest in the painting, they agreed to form Heritage Prints and offer a limited edition print of the "Birth of Radiology." The print features Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, his wife, and a superimposed radiography image of his wife's hand known to radiologists around the world.
Although the limited edition print takes the 'artistic license' of
depicting the room in which Röntgen took the famous radiograph of his wife's
hand, the picture is historically accurate in other respects. On December
22, 1895, Mrs. Röntgen's hand was placed on a glass photographic plate
beneath a cathode ray tube connected to a Ruhmkorff induction coil. An
exposure of between 3 and 5 minutes occurred to create the intriguing image
of her hand. The cathode ray tubes depicted are of the Crookes and Hittorf
varieties available to Röntgen at the time of his discovery and shortly
thereafter.
The limited edition print offers a unique way to celebrate this
important scientific discovery, having been displayed in hospitals, offices,
x-ray equipment dealerships, and colleges.
"Birth of Radiology" Print Information
This collector's
limited edition print is available in framed and unframed formats, the price
depending upon options chosen.
- Image Size 17" x 24"
- Print size 22.5" x 29"
- Acid Free Paper
- 100 pound, quality gloss stock
- 5,000 prints signed and consecutively numbered by the artist
- 500 artist proofs
- Price: Please contact doxbarn@aol.com for pricing information.
View Röntgen Print -- GIF Image, 498 x 352 pixels, 256 colors, 150Kb
View Röntgen Print -- JPEG Image, 498 x 352 pixels, 256 colors, 42Kb