Collection: William S. Ladd Collection of Prints
Description: Collection of 671 prints, primarily portraits, dating from the 17th century through the early 19th century. The prints, which demonstrate a variety of printing processes including etching, engraving, mezzotint, stippling, lithography, and hand coloring, primarily depict people who have made historically significant contributions to the fields of science and medicine, as well as some medical institutions, procedures, and other health-related topics. The prints are spectacular and appealing because of their subject matter and artistic merit. They lend a personal dimension to the study of the history of medicine. William S. Ladd, a former dean of Cornell University Medical College, accumulated the collection during the first half of the 20th century, purchasing many of the prints as deaccessioned duplicates from the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University.