Plague Collection

BRUEGEL: TRIUMPH OF DEATH. Triumph of Death; tempera on panel, c1562, by Peter Bruegel the Elder

Schistocerca gregaria, desert locust
A desert locust perching on a branch. Locusts sometimes swarm to form groups of up to 80 million and can migrate over large distances

Plague doctor, 18th century
Plague doctor. 18th-century artwork of the costume worn by a plague doctor, or any doctor dealing with quarantined patients

DANCE OF DEATH, 1538. Death and the Soldier. Woodcut by Hans Holbein the Younger, from The Dance of Death, published in 1538

Alexandre Yersin
ALEXANDRE EMILE JOHN YERSIN Swiss medical, associated with Roux, discovered plague virus, directed Pasteur Institute in Vietnam

Coloured TEM of Yersinia pestis bacteria
False colour transmission electron micrograph (SEM) of Yersinia pestis, a species of Gram negative, non- motile, capsulated

Protective Dress
Protective dress worn by French doctors attending plague victims in Marseille and elsewhere

Collecting plague victims 65J_HOL_1665_A
Holywell Lane, Shoreditch, London. Plague in 1665. A adead-carta in the City. showing plague victims being loaded onto a cart for burial. Engraving by W. Sherlock after S

A Plague of Locusts

Plague doctor, France, 18th century
Plague doctor. Artwork of the clothing used by doctors during plague outbreaks. This design, though in use much earlier, is from The Great Plague of Marseilles, France, in 1720

Saint Thecla Praying for the Plague-Stricken, 1758-59. Creator: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Saint Thecla Praying for the Plague-Stricken, 1758-59

Hippocrates Saves Athens
By his sensible precautions, the Greek physician Hippocrates saves the people of Athens from the worst effects of the plague which threatens them

The Healing of Saint Roch, late 15th century. Artist: German Master
The Healing of Saint Roch, late 15th century. German painting of the Swabian School. Legend holds that a dog found St Roch suffering from the plague, and summoned help

Costume worn by members of the Brotherhood of Mercy when dealing with victims of the plague
BROTHERHOOD OF MERCY. Costume worn by members of the Brotherhood of Mercy when dealing with victims of the plague. Studio photograph, Florence, Italy, c1900

Pandora and Hope
When Pandora first opens her box, she lets loose all the evils that can plague mankind; but when she and Epimethus open it a second time, Hope appears

Black Death rat flea, artwork
Oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis), artwork. This flea was the primary vector of the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which caused the Black Death

Myth / Tibet / Country / Mice
THE COUNTRY OF THE MICE The mice cross the river on cakes of dried yaks dung

Sicily - Palermo Monte Pellegrino Saint Rosalies Chapel
Black and white Victorian lantern slide of the Chapel of Saint Rosalie. Saint Rosalie lived a hermit life in the caves of Mount Pallegrino

LA Peste at Marseille
Scene showing the streets of Marseille strewn with plague victims, some being carted away in carts : drawing made on the spot in 1720

Milan during the plague (engraving)
8626268 Milan during the plague (engraving) by Moia, Federico (1802-1885); Private Collection; (add.info.: Milan during the plague)

Plague. Black Death
7301577 Plague. Black Death.; Private Collection; (add.info.: A passerby offers water to a dying man. During outbreaks of plague)

Milk vendors at Spring Gardens
5311970 Milk vendors at Spring Gardens; (add.info.: Engraving depicting milk vendors at Spring Gardens, St James' Park, London)

A Juniper plant
5321275 A Juniper plant; (add.info.: Botanical drawing of a Juniper plant: The juice of young leaves and berries taken in vine was recommended against snake bite and Plague)

History of Saint Piat and Saint Eleuthere, also called tapestry of Arras. Ordered from canon Toussaint Prier
7209641 History of Saint Piat and Saint Eleuthere, also called tapestry of Arras. Ordered from canon Toussaint Prier, chaplain of the duke of Burgundy, late 14th-early 15th century. 22m x 2m

"Swarms of horrible stinging flies" (litho)
8632811 "Swarms of horrible stinging flies" (litho) by Gibbs, William (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Emile Roux, French physician and bacteriologist (b/w photo)
8663831 Emile Roux, French physician and bacteriologist (b/w photo) by French Photographer, (19th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Emile Roux, French physician)

Plague procession in Rome (litho)
8663586 Plague procession in Rome (litho) by Hiremy-Hirschl, Adolph (1860-1933); Private Collection; (add.info.: Plague procession in Rome)

An improved cow shed in London
3732495 An improved cow shed in London; (add.info.: Engraving depicting an improved cow shed with metal and ceramic fittings which could be kept clean more easily than wooden ones)

Napoleon I in the Pesthouse at Jaffa touching plague victims, 11 March 1799
543831 Napoleon I in the Pesthouse at Jaffa touching plague victims, 11 March 1799. 19th century (french popular hand-coloured woodcut); (add.info)

The Plague strikes in Jerusalem, Illustration from the Dore Bible, 1866
3665485 The Plague strikes in Jerusalem, Illustration from the Dore Bible, 1866 by Dore, Gustave (1832-83); (add.info.: The Plague strikes in Jerusalem, Illustration from the Dore Bible 1866)

Napoleon Bonaparte ordering the poisoning of plague-ridden English troops after the Siege of Jaffa
FLO4608532 Napoleon Bonaparte ordering the poisoning of plague-ridden English troops after the Siege of Jaffa. Egyptian Campaign, 1799

Consigning bodies of the plague to a communal grave in the plague pit - Plague of London, 1665
540521 Consigning bodies of the plague to a communal grave in the plague pit - Plague of London, 1665. 19th century (engraving); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act III, Scene I (colour litho)
8630838 Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act III, Scene I (colour litho) by Hatherell, William (1855-1928) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Mercutio)

8626659

Schafflertanz / Coopers' Dance (colour litho)
8666265 Schafflertanz / Coopers' Dance (colour litho) by German School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Schafflertanz)

Protection against contagion, 15th Century (engraving)
8663830 Protection against contagion, 15th Century (engraving) by German School, (15th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Protection against contagion, 15th Century)

World map showing the spread of the plague (colour litho)
8663630 World map showing the spread of the plague (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: World map showing the spread of the plague)

"You and I cannot imagine anything like it!" (litho)
8632810 "You and I cannot imagine anything like it!" (litho) by Gibbs, William (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: "You and I cannot imagine anything like it)

Flagellants, 15th Century (colour litho)
8672839 Flagellants, 15th Century (colour litho) by German School, (15th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Flagellants, 15th Century)

David sacrifices on Mount Moriah (litho)
8675995 David sacrifices on Mount Moriah (litho) by Rhead, Louis John (1857-1926); Private Collection; (add.info.: David sacrifices on Mount Moriah. 1 Chronicles 21:15)

The Rabshakeh before the Walls of Jerusalem, 701 BC (litho)
8661278 The Rabshakeh before the Walls of Jerusalem, 701 BC (litho) by Villegas y Cordero, Jose (1844-1921) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Rabshakeh before the Walls of Jerusalem)

History of Saint Piat and Saint Eleuthere, also called tapestry of Arras. Ordered from canon Toussaint Prier
7209644 History of Saint Piat and Saint Eleuthere, also called tapestry of Arras. Ordered from canon Toussaint Prier, chaplain of the duke of Burgundy, late 14th-early 15th century. 22m x 2m

Plague Victims of Rome (engraving)
6317654 Plague Victims of Rome (engraving) by Legros, Alphonse (1837-1911) (after); (add.info.: after an etching by French artist Alphonse Legros, 1837 - 1911.); Photo © Ken Welsh

The bubonic plague in Naples, Italy, 1656
6266294 The bubonic plague in Naples, Italy, 1656; (add.info.: The bubonic plague in Naples, Italy, 1656. It is estimated to have killed around 150,000, or half of the city's population)

Flagellant: Sect, founded 1260, whipped themselves until blood ran in order to obtain God's mercy
536396 Flagellant: Sect, founded 1260, whipped themselves until blood ran in order to obtain God's mercy and to appease his wrath for the sins of mankind

St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) giving alms to a beggar. 19th century (french woodcut)
535048 St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) giving alms to a beggar. 19th century (french woodcut); (add.info.: After the death of her husband Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia)

New Zealand, 1890s: Up-Country Scenes, Rabbiter and Dogs (b/w photo)
8662650 New Zealand, 1890s: Up-Country Scenes, Rabbiter and Dogs (b/w photo) by New Zealand Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Up-Country Scenes, Rabbiter and Dogs)

The Fables of La Fontaine: The Animals Sick of the Plague (engraving)
8669307 The Fables of La Fontaine: The Animals Sick of the Plague (engraving) by Dore, Gustave (1832-83); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Animals Sick of the Plague)

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"Unveiling the Dark Shadows: A Glimpse into the Plague's Grip on Humanity" In Bruegel's haunting masterpiece, "Triumph of Death, " we witness a chilling portrayal of the devastating plague that ravaged Europe in the 16th century. The artist's tempera on panel captures the grim reality and despair that engulfed communities during this time. Amidst this chaos, Schistocerca gregaria, also known as desert locusts, added to the misery by descending upon already weakened populations, exacerbating hunger and suffering. These swarms became harbingers of doom, symbolizing nature's merciless onslaught. The image of a plague doctor from the 18th century emerges—a figure shrouded in protective dress with an eerie beaked mask. This peculiar attire aimed to shield physicians from contagion but also instilled fear among those they sought to aid. Hans Holbein's woodcut from "The Dance of Death" series further illustrates mankind's futile struggle against death itself. In "Death and the Soldier, " mortality triumphs over strength and valor, reminding us that no one is spared when plagued by disease. Yersinia pestis bacteria come into focus through a colored TEM image—tiny organisms responsible for spreading bubonic plague across continents. Alexandre Yersin played a pivotal role in identifying these deadly microbes and developing treatments to combat their wrath. As we delve deeper into history, images emerge depicting brave souls collecting plague victims—an arduous task fraught with danger yet driven by compassion. Their selfless acts embody humanity’s resilience even amidst unimaginable horrors. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo portrays Saint Thecla fervently praying for those afflicted by this scourge in his painting from 1758-59. Her unwavering faith serves as a beacon of hope amid darkness—a reminder that solace can be found even in times of great distress.