A Global History of Epidemics, 1800-1970
Explore the intersection of medicine, public health, colonialism, and governance through evolving responses to infectious diseases across the British Empire in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with material sourced from The National Archives, UK and British Film Institute (BFI).
This comprehensive collection features official government records that track the spread and treatment of major epidemics and pandemics, including Cholera, Plague, Scarlet Fever, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Through these materials, users can see how governments and societies adapted to these public health crises, shaping modern approaches to disease control and prevention and providing an alternative lens through which to view colonialism.
This resource offers a unique opportunity to study a critical period of colonial history alongside global STEM history, where infectious diseases and their management played a pivotal role in shaping public health policies. Through official reports, correspondence, and ephemeral materials, users can investigate the impact of diseases on sanitation, public health infrastructure, and medical advancements including the development of treatments and vaccinations.
Highlights
- Coverage of over 80 infectious diseases documented across a 170-year period covering various transmission types including airborne, respiratory, and vector-borne
- 16 shorts and public information films from the twentieth century showcasing how infectious diseases can spread and be prevented. Several of the shorts embrace eccentric humour, popular with the British public at the time, while others are either produced or feature Richard Massingham, a British medical doctor and filmmaker
- Case studies including an investigation into a mysterious illness that took the lives of seven men onboard the SS Sea Rambler
- Government file classes that cover local authority and international health developments concerning public health including administrative changes, medical services, housing, examinations, and the notification and prevention methods introduced to individuals, communities and countries across the globe
Included in
Key data
Period covered
Source archives
- British Film Institute (BFI)
- The National Archives, UK
- Colonial government and administration
- Disease prevention and intervention
- History of infectious diseases
- Public health and sanitation
- STEM History and medical advancements
- Audiovisual
- Correspondence
- Official Records
- Reports
- Maps
- Posters
- Newspaper clippings
- Jacob Steere-Williams, College of Charleston, US
- Michael Bresalier, Swansea University
- Martin Gorsky, London School of Tropical Medicine
- Lukas Engelmann, University of Edinburgh
- History of Medicine
- Public Health
- Empire and Colonial History
- Environmental and Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Migration
