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Originally posted on Ipernity: National Surgical Institute of Philadelphia.
"The National Surgical Institute of Philadelphia, N.E. Cor. Broad & Arch Sts. Ketterlinus, Philad'a."
A Victorian-era "before and after" advertising trade card for the National Surgical Institute of Philadelphia.
The "before" part of the card is illustrated by the boy on crutches, who hasn't yet received any treatment. The girl, whose treatment has been so successful that she can now throw away her crutches, shows us the "after" part and demonstrates why we should become patients at the National Surgical Institute.
I'm not exactly sure why that prosthetic leg is just lying there on the steps. You'd think they could put it out of the way in a cupboard or closet somewhere so that no one trips over it.
Printed on the back of the card:
The National Surgical Institute
Has been engaged in the treatment of all deformities of the body, limbs, and face; such as Spinal Diseases, Paralysis, Hip Disease, Crooked Limbs, Crooked or Club Feet, Diseased Joints, Hare Lip, Deformities of the Nose, &c. Also, Diseases of Women, Nasal Catarrh, Indolent Ulcers, Piles, Fistula, and other Chronic Diseases.
There are no secrets in the mode of treatment, which is usually painless, and all interested are cordially invited to visit the Institute and examine the extensive and ingenious machinery, varied appliances and other facilities.
No charges made for examinations, and no cases treated that cannot be cured or greatly benefited. All desired information, and any number of references furnished by calling at, or addressing National Surgical Institute, Cor. Broad & Arch Sts., Philadelphia.
Bowman, W. E., 1834-1915,, photographer.
[John W. January, veteran of Co. B, 14th Illinois Cavalry Regiment, with prosthetic legs]
[Ottawa, Illinois] : [Bowman], [ca. 1890]
1 photograph : albumen print on card mount ; mount 17 x 11 cm (cabinet card format)
Notes:
Photograph shows identified veteran who was a prisoner of war at Andersonville, Georgia, and lost his feet from scurvy and gangrene.
Title devised by Library staff.
On verso: printed autobiography.
Gift; Tom Liljenquist; 2016; (DLC/PP-2017:171, formerly deposit D072)
Forms part of: Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs (Library of Congress).
Subjects:
January, John W.,--1847-1906.
United States.--Army.--Illinois Cavalry Regiment, 14th (1863-1865)--People.
Veterans--Union--1880-1890.
War casualties--1880-1890.
Amputees--1880-1890.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Veterans--Union.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Casualties--Union.
Format: Portrait photographs--1880-1900.
Albumen prints--1880-1890.
Cabinet photographs--1880-1890.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Part Of: Liljenquist Family collection (Library of Congress) (DLC) 2010650519
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.49798
Call Number: LOT 14043-2, no. 377
This was the first runner that passed us on the north-south Central Park roadway...
Note: this photo was published in an Nov 9, 2011 issue of Everyblock NYC zip codes blog, in a customized search-page titled "Central Park."
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I last photographed the New York marathon in 2008, which resulted in 150 photos that you can see here on Flickr. I don't know what happened in 2009 and 2010, but when a photographer friend told me that he and his wife were going to be in town this weekend, I was delighted to have the opportunity to see the event all over again.
Back in the late 1970s, I recall watching the end of the marathon — at the finish line near the old Tavern on the Green. I don't think I had my camera with me at the time; in any case, all I remember is that it was so mobbed with people that I could barely see the uphill roadway where the runners entered the park and ran the final, painful quarter-mile uphill to the finish line, and I certainly didn't take any photos. And that was 30+ years ago; I wouldn't even bother trying to watch the finish line today, unless I brought my sleeping bag and spent the night before the marathon, sleeping underneath the finish line.
Most of my recent marathon-sightings have been at the 24-mile mark, over on the east side of Central Park, just a little below the 86th Street transverse, and directly behind the Metropolitan Museum. There's a nice grassy lawn to the west of the roadway, and I remember a couple of occasions where we brought our kids and spent most of the afternoon enjoying a picnic while cheering the runners on. But these days, it's crowded there, too; and it has also been designated as a "water station," which means there are tens of thousands of paper cups being thrown in all directions by the runners as they grab a cup of water and keep on going...
This year, my friend and I went a little further south on the north-south park road along which the marathoners run. We were just over the crest of a hill that starts at approximately 79th street and glides downhill for half a mile, and around a bend to the intersection with the 72nd street east-west transverse. We spent about half an hour at that spot, then moved halfway down the hill for another half-hour, and finally ended up down at the bottom of the hill, just past the boat house and restaurant at the edge of the lake in Central Park.
You could not imagine a more perfect day for a marathon -- and also for a photographer -- than Nov 6, 2011. The sky was perfectly blue, the sun was dazzling bright, the temperature was brisk and bracing, and there was no wind at all. The runners came over the crest of the hill, running south in our direction (we had placed ourselves so that the sun would be at our back), and though many of them were in great pain after 24+ miles, invariably they broke into a huge smile when they saw they were about to begin a nice, long, half-mile downhill stretch.
Altogether, I took more than 1,500 photos -- beginning with the very first runner, an amputee with prosthetic legs that had spring-y feet that gave him quite a bounce. I don't know if this made him faster than everyone else, or whether he was part of a group (along with a bunch of people riding low-slung tricycle contraptions, mostly powered by hand-cranking) that was allowed to leave the starting point (at the Verrazano Bridge) a little ahead of everyone else. I also photographed the women at the front of the "elite" women's group, but was very frustrated when I later discovered that my photos of the first two such women were blurred and out of focus. But I got most of the lead women runners, most of the lead men runners, and then thousands upon thousands of the remaining runners (of whom there were 46,795 finishers).
I decided against my typical practice of putting funny captions on the photos; I'll let the photos -- and the faces of the runners -- speak for themselves.
Enjoy!
Macro Monday project - 01/12/09
"Imperfections”
Not a lot of time this week!!! Getting ready for a big vacation trip!!! Be back in 2 to 3 weeks!!!
When the light was green, cars were driving past him, perhaps a foot and a half away (1/2 meter), maybe less, and at up to 35 MPH (55 KPH).
This is me as I test out my new prosthetic leg. I had outgrown my most recent one through a little meds-induced weight gain. I used a design by the rock band Drivin' N Cryin' (with their approval) on it. Their music helped me through a six month stay at the hospital being treated for sepsis when my leg was amputated to save my life. I feel like I owe a lot to them
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
© rogerperriss@aol.com All rights reserved.
Just a few weeks after receiving his second prosthetic leg, Josh has given up his wheelchair all together. He's back at school now, starting eighth grade right on time.
So we always wanted the leg lamp from Christmas Story ( who doesn't right)
So when our friend Ratsy told me she had some prosthetic legs for sale I thought what the hell ! so here is the result something so off the wall and not even close to the original, but funny as hell. not to mention I built two of them ( you have to have a matching set right ? ) so now I have the task to build the right leg lamp from the movie. I hate to buy something when its so much fun to make it your self.
hats off to my wife Patti. She was a tremendous help building these crazy lamps. not to mention she has them proudly displayed in the living room.
Ratsy has this awesome store in Oberlin Oh. be sure to check it out
Single Scottish Ambulance Service Paramedic attends to a Mr Winston Ingram who has fallen in the street after his prosthetic leg detached.
**For clarification, the below is unlikely to make sense if you’re not familiar with Still Game.**
Belshotmuir Daily Bugle - Evening Edition.
The Scottish Ambulance Service have this evening confirmed their attendance at an incident on Main Street earlier this afternoon.
A Paramedic Response Unit attended a report of an elderly male having fallen. The Service confirmed he sustained only minor injuries and was discharged at the scene.
Local sources identified the man as a Mr Winston Ingram of Craiglang, Glasgow. The same sources, who wish to remain anonymous, claim that following an unsavoury incident at his local Bookmakers, Mr Ingram was avoiding the establishment and had travelled to the Belshotmuir branch to place a bet on “Scotch Corner”. However, after alighting the McKindless service 80 bus, Mr Ingram set off at a speed too great for his prosthetic leg which then detached causing him to fall.
Paramedic F. Kiernan was heard to say “the daft auld bugger came flying aff the bus like a bat out of hell, complaining about the “specky” driver goin’ too slow. His leg came away an he ended up oan his a**e. Nothing but a dented pride but”.
In related news, Scotch Corner came in first beating Calypso Jet.
Art meets innovation in this striking image of a custom-designed prosthetic leg displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. More than a medical device, this prosthesis is a canvas—a symbol of personal identity, technological progress, and the disability rights movement.
The upper socket is vividly hand-painted with jungle motifs, including a chameleon, salamander, and vibrant plant life. These elements evoke themes of adaptability, resilience, and transformation, reflecting the journey of those who use prosthetics to reclaim movement and independence. The artwork personalizes the device, transforming it from a tool of necessity into a celebration of self-expression.
The leg features a Flex-Foot Cheetah blade, a carbon fiber prosthetic foot known for its high-performance design, often used by amputee athletes and Paralympians. Its curved, spring-like structure helps absorb impact and return energy with each step, enabling users to walk, run, and even compete at elite levels. This combination of mechanical sophistication and artistic detail underscores how far prosthetics have come—from purely functional to deeply empowering.
Behind the prosthesis, the display case includes patent diagrams and historical references to the evolution of limb design. This layered context invites viewers to consider both the engineering ingenuity that makes such technology possible and the activist efforts that have pushed for visibility, equity, and accessibility in medicine, society, and design.
Within the larger context of the Smithsonian’s exhibitions on invention, human potential, and inclusive innovation, this artifact reminds us that assistive devices are not one-size-fits-all. Every prosthetic leg tells a story—of recovery, reinvention, and redefinition. And when decorated with personal artwork like this, it also tells the story of who the wearer is: not just a user of technology, but an artist, an athlete, a survivor, and a whole person.
In the 21st century, the aesthetics of prosthetics are shifting. Designers, artists, and amputees themselves are embracing bold designs, rejecting the notion that assistive devices must be hidden or neutral. This prosthesis stands as a powerful example of that shift—an invitation to see beauty, not just utility, in the technologies that expand human capability.
This photograph captures a moment of intersection: between body and machine, between medical function and visual expression, between invisibility and celebration. For anyone interested in disability rights, design innovation, prosthetics, or accessible technology, this image offers a vibrant entry point into those conversations.
Cpl. Ivan Sears, from Twentynine Palms, Calif., adjusts his prosthetics during track practice for the 2013 Marine Corps Trials at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 26, 2013. Sears, a bilateral above-knee amputee, plans to compete in the track and cycling portions of the Trials. The Trials is an opportunity for wounded Marines, veterans and allies to compete in wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, track and field, swimming, archery and shooting. The top 50 athletes will go on to compete against wounded warriors from the other branches of military service at the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., in May. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Chelsea Flowers Anderson)