Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Medical World News Photograph Collection
Date(s)
- 1960-1994 (Creation)
- 1957-1985 (Creation)
- 1935-1988 (Creation)
Extent
218 cubic feet (432 boxes)
Name of creator
Administrative history
Medical World News (MWN) was a weekly publication that focused on medical developments, issues, and personalities. It was published for 35 years from 1960 to 1994. Self-described as "The Newsmagazine of Medicine,” Medical World News was the only news magazine devoted solely to medicine during its years of publication.
With Maxwell M. Geffen as the publisher, the first issue of Medical World News hit the newsstand on April 22, 1960. It began as a biweekly publication, but quickly increased its frequency to every week. From the beginning Medical World News aspired to be more than just another medical journal. As Geffen describes in his first Letter from the Publisher, “Medical World News proposes to offer a new, unique and clear channel of communication between the profession and the world around it, and to set new standards of accuracy and disclosure, covering every phase of medical journalism.” (MWN, 1960, 04/22, p.11) It was a unique and independent publication with the freedom to report all aspects on controversial issues in medicine. Its target audience was the physician, and the image-rich content was “designed to facilitate communications and easy reading.” (MWN, 1960, 04/22, p.11) Within the first 2 months, Medical World News covered “the Kefauver investigation, the rapid developments surrounding medical care for the aged, the debate of the ‘polio greats,’ the use of oral contraceptives and the exciting conversation of tumorous cells into normal cells by a Rockefeller Institute scientist.” (MWN, 1960, 06/03, p.9)
Morris Fishbein, previously editor of Journal of the American Medical Association, was the first editor for the Medical World News. He shaped the tone and concepts of the publication, emphasizing photography to differentiate Medical World News from other medical journals. He had a photo staff of six people, including Rick Giacalone as art director and Don Monaco and Martha Roberts as photo editors. The work of the staff and amount of images created, reviewed, and used for each story was a massive undertaking. Geffen describes, “[the picture staff] handles about 30,000 pictures every year. For a single story, they may scrutinize as many as 150 color slides or a dozen rolls of 36-frame black-and-white film--from which they will choose only four or five of the best for publication.” (MWN, 1967, 03/31, p.21) To capture all the footage, Medical World News hired freelance photographers for assignments all over the world. Many were members of the American Society of Magazine Photographers. Notable photographers who contributed to issues are George Tames, Art Shay, Joe Baker, James Pickerell, Ivan Massar, Jerry Miller, Al Geise, Mike Shea, Dennis Galloway, and Bob Phillips. Some photographers were associated with photo agencies, like Black Star and Magnum Photos.
Ownership of the Medical World News changed throughout its 35-year history. The following is a list of publishing companies, their locations, and years of ownership: Medical World News Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1960-1967 McGraw-Hill Publications, New York, NY, 1967-1981 Hospital Equities International (HEI) Publishing Company, Houston, TX, 1981-1985 Miller Freeman Inc., San Francisco, CA, 1985-1992 Axel Springer Publications, New York, NY, 1992-1994
By the 1990s Medical World News had become a monthly magazine. Nicholas K. Zittel was the last editor, and he wrote in his final Editor’s Note, “Over the years, MWN has fought valiantly to fulfill [its] promise. The ‘war on cancer,’ the artificial heart, Medicare, advances in neonatology, the halcyon days of drug discovery, political battles in Congress. With its comprehensive coverage of these and other critical issues MWN has fought tirelessly for and on behalf of the primary-care physician.” (MWN, February 1994, p.2) The last issue of the Medical World News was published in February 1994.
SOURCES: Medical World News, 1960, 1967, 1994; IC 077 Medical World News Photograph Collection
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The Medical World News Photograph Collection (IC 077) predominantly consists of photographic prints, negatives, and transparencies that document the production of a premiere medical news magazine. The collection contains most of the images published in the magazine from 1967-1985. In addition, there are many more unpublished 35mm negative footage dating back to 1963. Through biographical files, subject files, article files, raw negative footage, and color transparencies, the collection offers an expansive visual tour of medical advances from 1960-1988. There are images from 8,198 articles. The biographical files and subjects files have reproduced photographs that pre-date the publication with content as early as 1904. These images were mostly provided by other agencies to illustrate an article or medical news item. Images dated before 1960 are assumed to be reproductions. Color 35mm slides and larger format transparencies were used to illustrate cover stories and other features. The collection also includes article drafts, interview transcripts, and other source material for at least twelve of the magazine’s cover stories from 1978-1979.
The collection is estimated to have roughly 500,000 images, and it is comprised of 22,003 folders within 424 document boxes and 8 oversize boxes, equaling 218 cubic feet. Materials are in good condition.
To complement the collection, the archive maintains a complete set of Medical World News from 1960-1994.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Unrestricted. Material is open for research.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Permission to publish from this material must be facilitated through the repository, Texas Medical Center Library, McGovern Historical Center. Copyright restrictions apply.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Yes. Full finding aid is available.
Generated finding aid
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Deed-3
Immediate source of acquisition
The McGovern Historical Center received the Medical World News Photograph Collection from HEI Publishing, which published the magazine in Houston for a few years. The photograph archive was originally donated to the archive in 1985. After the publication was sold to Miller Freeman, Inc. in San Francisco, CA, the archive had an agreement to archive materials with the new publishing company for a time. During this time, starting April 15, 1992, 19 boxes (roughly 16 cubic feet) were added to the collection.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
No accruals are expected for this collection.
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
IC 098 TMC Library Historical Photograph Collection; IC 043 Texas Heart Institute Film Collection
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
- Citation: Preferred citation: Medical World News Photograph Collection; IC 077; John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center, Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library. Please cite the box and folder numbers where appropriate.
- Processing information: The collection is separated into four general series according to type of materials: Prints, Negatives, Slides and Transparencies, and Cover Stories. The Prints series consists of biographical files, subject files, article files, and oversize. Biographical and subject files are each arranged in alphabetical order according to subject. Article and oversize files are arranged according to article number (an identification number given to each article by the publisher), which is generally in chronological order and correspond to publication dates of each magazine issue. The Negatives series consists of the raw photographic footage and copy negatives produced by staff and freelance photographers for each Medical World News story. Negatives are arranged by negative number (an identification number given to each story assignment by the publisher or graphics vendor), which is in chronological order. Slides and Transparencies consists of 35mm slides as well as medium and large format transparencies that were created for Medical World News feature stories. The materials were housed in the original slide boxes. The slide boxes were grouped and assigned subjects based on descriptions provided on the original boxes. Materials are ordered alphabetically according to subject, in most cases subjects are a person's surname. Cover story titles and issues were identified and ordered in chronological order. Materials were grouped by story title with some story materials separated across multiple folders. Folders are labeled with the story title, issue, and part of total folders.
Alternative identifier(s)
TARO
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Sources used
Archivist's note
Processed by Gagina Leonard, 2018
Archivist's note
Finding aid prepared and encoded by Sandra Yates, 2018.
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Tames, George (Subject)
- Medical World News (Subject)