When Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895, his findings made him famous throughout the world. X-rays were discussed by medics and scientists everywhere, but the story spread far beyond the science community, skyrocketing Röntgen to celebrity status. He received the first ever Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901.
Visions of death
Röntgen took the first ever human X-ray, of his wife Anna Bertha Ludwig's hand, on 22 December 1895. After seeing the ghostly image of the bones in her hand for the first time, she reportedly exclaimed: 'I have seen my death'.
X-Ray of a broken human upper arm (humerous) and shoulder (1915) by Henry Jasper RedfernScience Museum
The medical potential of X-rays was quickly realised. The first clinical use is thought to be a radiograph taken of a needle inside a ballet dancer's foot in 1896. Practitioners were suddenly able to see beyond the human skin without creating an incision, and they were able to do this while the patient was still alive, completely revolutionising medicine.
The
face of Royal Tea
Wilhelm Röntgen's discovery became so famous that his image was used by the French chocolate company, Chocolat Carpentier, to advertise their 'Royal Tea'. This advertisement was part of a collection that included images of famous medical pioneers, practitioners and procedures, including Louis Pasteur, trephination and blood transfusions, among others.
Seeing skeletons
Although the ghostly sight of our bones must have been frightening to first witness, X-rays quickly became a form of entertainment. This is an invite to a party where the guests were able to use an X-ray machine for their own amusement. After 1895, X-rays appeared frequently in circuses and fairs, allowing people to see inside their own bodies for the first time.
A dangerous discovery
Reports of hair loss, dry skin and burns appeared quickly after 1895, but it was decades after Röntgen's discovery before we fully understood X-ray's dangerous potential. Though it is a heavily monitored and safe procedure, taking an X-ray involves exposure to radiation, which can cause cancer. Lead-lined aprons and gloves like this were used to protect the wearer, but they were extremely heavy. The apron alone weighs 5kg.
From the laboratory to the shoe shop
A common sight in British shoe shops until the 1960s, the pedoscope used X-rays to assist people in buying the right size shoes. Customers put their feet in the hole at the bottom, and the assistant peered down one of the eyepieces at the top. Inside the box was an X-ray tube that shone a beam on the customer's feet, illuminating their bones and showing the outline of the shoe.
X-ray Shoe Fit Check 1920sScience Museum
Wax male figure showing the arteries of the body (1776/1780) by Clemente SusiniScience Museum
These are X-ray photographs of a wax anatomical model that was made in Italy in the 1770s. Röntgen's discovery has enabled us at the Science Museum to better understand the objects in our collection by seeing inside them without causing physical damage. X-raying this object has shown us the extraordinary level of detail employed by Clemente Susini, the sculptor, when creating this wax model of the human circulatory system.
Wax male figure showing the arteries of the body (1776/1780) by Clemente SusiniScience Museum
Discover more objects related to the history of X-ray in our online collection.
All images © Science Museum Group except where stated.
The Science Museum is part of the Science Museum Group.
