James Gillingham

James Gillingham (1839–1924)[1] was a prosthetic limb manufacturer based in Chard, Somerset[2] in the 19th century[3] and one of the first to have photographs taken of his works.[4]

Career

Gillingham was a Victorian boot and shoemaker[5] at his Golden Shoe shop[6] until 1863 when he began making artificial limbs from leather and molded like a pair of shoes.[7] His first prosthetic limb was for William Singleton,[8] a local man who lost an arm firing a cannon for a celebratory salute, which Gillingham made at no cost to Singleton.[7] He then made prostheses on a permanent basis. Chard, as a result, became a major centre of the British artificial limb industry.[1] Samples from Gillingham's workshop are on display at the Chard Museum.[9]

The Lancet medical journal in a 1868 article described Gillingham's prostheses as "strong, light, and durable" and took 10 days to make, were "easy wearing and not likely to get out of repair; simple in construction, and as beautiful as life in appearance."[10] Nicknamed the 'Leather Leg', Gillingham molded the leather to the patient's limb before hardening it. By 1910, he had restored mobility and function to more than 15,000 patients.[11] He took black-and-white photos to show the detail and fit of each prosthetic.[7]

Gillingham's story was included in the BBC One 2017 documentary titled Invented in… that featured the Chard Museum.[5]

Book

In 2001, author Derrick W. Warren wrote the book James Gillingham: Surgical Mechanist & Manufacturer of Artificial Limbs, published by Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society.[12]

References
  1. "Girl wearing two artificial legs, 1890-1910". Science & Society Picture Library.
  2. Smith, Marquard (2002). "The uncertainty of placing : prosthetic bodies, sculptural design, and unhomely dwelling in Marc Quinn, James Gillingham and Sigmund Freud". New Formations (46).
  3. Wright, Elizabeth (2009). "My Prosthetic and I: Identity Representation in Bodily Extension". Forum: University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture & the Arts (8).
  4. Smith, Marquard; Morra, Joanne (2006). The Prosthetic Impulse: From a Posthuman Present to a Biocultural Future. MIT Press. p. 54. ISBN 9780262195300.
  5. "Chard Museum to take centre stage in new BBC show". Chard & Ilminster News.
  6. "Гений протезов - английский сапожник, который ошеломил медицинский мир (Фото)". Теlegraf.
  7. Arbuckle, Alex. "Artificial limbs from 1900 were decades ahead of their time". Mashable.
  8. "The Lancet". J. Onwhyn. 7 April 2019 – via Google Books.
  9. Campbell, Sophie (15 September 2009). "Somerset's heritage sites: a speedy tour". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  10. "GILLINGHAM'S ARTIFICIAL LEGS". The Lancet. 92 (2358): 607–608. 1868-11-07. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)72122-3. ISSN 0140-6736.
  11. "Art and Medicine Bibliography, James Gillingham". www.artandmedicine.com. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  12. Warren, Derrick W. (7 April 2019). James Gillingham: Surgical Mechanist & Manufacturer of Artificial Limbs. Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society. ISBN 9780953353958 – via Google Books.


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