INFECTIOUS DISEASE ON DISPLAY AT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE
EXHIBIT EXTENDED THROUGH MARCH 7, 2010
October 21, 2009, Washington, D.C. – "Outbreak: Plagues That Changed History," an exhibit of artwork depicting the impact of disease on human history, will be featured in a limited engagement at the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Admission is free. NMHM is open to the public and is located on the campus at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
In the book's introduction, Barnard writes: "…whether fast or slow, epidemic, pandemic, or endemic, these infectious diseases can force enormous, sometimes cataclysmic changes on societies. They can reshuffle power, serve the greater good, or solidify the status of the ruling class. They can determine not just who lives and who dies, but who wins and who loses, who gets wealthy and who stays poor, which ideas become popular and which ones wither away. Without epidemics, ours would be a very different world indeed. Outbreak is the story of epidemics that have transformed human society."
"Outbreak" is the work of artist and author Bryn Barnard and is based on his book of the same name (published by Crown Publishers). The paintings illustrate key moments in world history by educating the visitor on the impact certain epidemiological disasters have had on shaping human population and world civilization. The exhibit includes original paintings partnered with maps and text from the book. This is the first major East Coast installation for "Outbreak."
"This institution's historic interest in combating infectious disease goes back to Captain Walter Reed himself when he was curator of the Army Medical Museum at the turn of the 20th century," said Adrianne Noe, Ph.D., Museum director. "Reed's thorough methods and scientific approach led to improved treatment regimens and vaccines for yellow fever and also served to institutionalize the role of the medical scientist in the armed forces. We're glad that Barnard's exhibit further educates our visitors about the impact infectious diseases have had on human history and how modern medicine has worked to combat the threat of such diseases."
Outbreak focuses on the medical and social impact of six epidemics: how the Black Death in the 14th century created ideal conditions for the rise of capitalism; how smallpox stacked the deck in favor of nascent European colonialism; how yellow fever helped end the trans-Atlantic slave trade and how wave after wave of 19th century cholera epidemics created the modern city; how tuberculosis catalyzed the development of the welfare state; and how the H1N1 Spanish Influenza of 1918 shaped the outcome and aftermath of the first World War.
The exhibit will close on January 22, 2010.
"Outbreak: Plagues That Changed History" is written and illustrated by Bryn Barnard and published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Reservations are not required to visit the Museum. Admission is free and parking is available. Adults seeking to visit the Museum are required to present valid government-issued photo identification to gain entry to Walter Reed, and will be asked to present ID again at the Museum. Vehicles are subject to search when visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
For more information, contact Tim Clarke, Jr., the Museum's Deputy Director for Communications, phone (202) 782-2672, email timothy.clarke@afip.osd.mil.
MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES:
- Media interested in viewing the exhibition must RSVP by calling Tim Clarke, Jr., at 202-782-2672 or by emailing timothy.clarke@afip.osd.mil at least 48 hours in advance. Information needed from media outlets for Museum access include: names of all attending, license plate number, make, model, year and color of the vehicle. Parking is available.
Links:
About Bryn Barnard:
- Bryn Barnard has illustrated numerous books and is the author of Dangerous Planet: Natural Disasters That Changed History. The author lives in Friday Harbor, Washington.
About the National Museum of Health and Medicine:
- The National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, established in 1862, inspires interest in and promotes the understanding of medicine—past, present, and future—with a special emphasis on tri-service American military medicine. As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military and to the nation, the Museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research. The Museum is an element of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), a tri-service Army, Navy and Air Force agency of the Department of Defense with a threefold mission of consultation, education and research. The Museum is located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., and is open every day (except December 25) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Visit the Museum Web site at www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum or call (202) 782-2200.
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