Harms Way: Lust & Madness, Murder & Mayhem : A Book of Photographs [PDF]

Harms Way: Lust & Madness, Murder & Mayhem : A Book of Photographs
by Stanley B. Burns (Author), Joel-Peter Witkin (Editor)

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Harms Way brings together four unusual collections. Edited and with an introduction by Joel-Peter Witkin, the book includes turn-of-the-century crime-scene photographs, nineteenth-century asylum inmate portraits with calligraphic annotations detailing the patients' diagnoses, nineteenth-century medical photographs from the Burns Archive, and a selection of images from the Kinsey Institute for Sex Research. The ability of the photograph to show us our powerlessness in the face of madness, lust, disease, and death, survives in these brittle and arresting images.


Driven by a deep commitment to share his discoveries, Dr Stanley B. Burns’ name has become synonymous with historic photography. Dr. Burns began collecting medical, historical, and memorial photography in 1975, and founded The Burns Archive in 1977. Since then, he’s authored dozens of award-winning photo-history books, and has curated and exhibited at dozens of major museums and galleries worldwide. A New York City ophthalmologist, Dr Burns’ keen eye for iconic imagery has helped rewrite inaccuracies in medical history and played a large role in the rediscovery of post-mortem photography and nineteenth century mourning practices.

An accomplished surgeon, author, historian, curator, collector, professor, publisher, and archivist, Dr Burns has been referred to as “the Johnny Appleseed of photography” in New York Magazine, as he’s actively shared his encyclopaedic knowledge and expertise. His contributions to medical and photography history are recognized by his official appointments at several institutions, including The National Arts Club, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The American College of Surgeons and especially by New York University: Langone Medical Centre where he is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry. Over the past 40 years, he has consulted and contributed to thousands of feature films, documentaries, television productions and publications. He has authored 43 photo-historical texts, over 1000 articles and served as editor of several medical journals.

When not collecting, Dr Burns spends his consulting, lecturing, creating exhibits, and writing books on under-appreciated areas of history and photography. Dr Burns is the on-set Medical, Historical and Technical Consultant for the HBO-Cinemax series, "The Knick."

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