1895 Röntgen – First X-ray of his wife’s hand

Röntgen's X-ray photography of his wife’s hand, revealing internal structures within the human body.

In 1895, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen's discovery of X-rays expanded photography's realm from capturing visible realities to unveiling the unseen. For the first time, X-rays made the internal structures of living beings visible without dissection. The iconic X-ray image of his wife’s hand, showcasing her bones and wedding ring, transcended scientific curiosity to become a profound demonstration of new visual possibilities.

Röntgen's technique involved an X-ray tube shielded by black cardboard, preventing light from affecting the photographic plate, while X-rays penetrated this barrier, impressing the plate based on material density. This innovative method challenged conventional photographic practices, necessitating new considerations in exposure and image capture. The impact of his discovery on both art and science has been monumental.

Credit: Röntgen, Wilhelm Conrad, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Author: Röntgen, Wilhelm Conrad (1895)
Title: Hand von Frau Röntgen
Date: 1895
Archive: Remscheid, 5,000 Masterpieces of Photography
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Original file: 1000 x 1450 pixels, file size: 146 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg
Available information: Röntgenphotographie der »Hand von Frau Röntgen«

Additional credits (left to right): Image 1 credit: foundation, N. (1901). Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. Wilhelm Röntgen received the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. Image 2 credit: The laboratory of Wilhelm Röntgen at the University of Würzburg. Deutsches Röntgen-Museum.