Head-and-Shoulder Hunting in the Americas: Walter Freeman and the Visual Culture of Lobotomy

Between 1936 and 1967, Walter Freeman, a prominent neurologist, lobotomized as many as 3,500 Americans. Freeman was also an obsessive photographer, taking patients’ photographs before their operations and tracking them down years—even decades—later. In this presentation, Miriam Posner details her efforts to understand why Freeman was so devoted to this practice, using computer-assisted image-mining and analysis techniques to show how these images fit into the larger visual culture of 20th-century psychiatry.











When: Tue., Feb. 9, 2016 at 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Where: The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Ave.
212-822-7200
Price: Free, advanced registration required
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Between 1936 and 1967, Walter Freeman, a prominent neurologist, lobotomized as many as 3,500 Americans. Freeman was also an obsessive photographer, taking patients’ photographs before their operations and tracking them down years—even decades—later. In this presentation, Miriam Posner details her efforts to understand why Freeman was so devoted to this practice, using computer-assisted image-mining and analysis techniques to show how these images fit into the larger visual culture of 20th-century psychiatry.

Buy tickets/get more info now