The Burns Archive Supplies Medical Expertise To New Drama Series "THE KNICK"

News provided by

Aug 05, 2014, 04:29 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanley B. Burns, MD, a leading expert on turn-of-the-century medicine, surgeon, and founder of The Burns Archive, the largest private collection of historic and early medical photography, consults on the new HBO/Cinemax series THE KNICK.

Teaching Surgery, Operative Scene, Philadelphia, 1902: This photograph shows cancer surgeon William Rodman demonstrating his latest technique. At the turn of the century medical science had advanced to the degree that operations inside the chest, abdomen and head were, for the first time, possible. Surgeons were daily developing new and innovative procedures, conquering diseases previously thought incurable. The operating room became a dramatic setting where the master surgeon performed miracles. The surgeon was the hero of his time. (PRNewsFoto/The Burns Archive) (PRNewsFoto/The Burns Archive)

Stanley B. Burns, MD, Elizabeth A. Burns and The Burns Archive, were contracted by HBO as the medical, historical and technical advisers to THE KNICK and were instrumental in the recreation of turn-of-the-century medicine. They worked closely with the writers, director, producers and actors, as well as the art, props and special effects departments.

Dr. Burns, with his encyclopedic knowledge and historical expertise of the medical field, provided conceptual guidance and historic accuracy. As a surgeon, Dr. Burns turned the actors into turn-of-the-century physicians and advised on-set for all medical procedures and operative scenes. Elizabeth A. Burns, Archivist for The Burns Archive, provided reference material from the Archive's extensive collection of medical photography and assisted Dr. Burns in perfecting details of the period.

"THE KNICK vividly illustrates what I've often expressed, that doctors in the past were just as smart and innovative as they are today, but labored with inferior technology and knowledge. In their attempt to help and heal, they devised procedures that with time have proved erroneous. Time may prove the same of today's medicine." – Stanley B. Burns, MD

"Working on THE KNICK is like stepping into a Burns Archive photograph come to life." – Elizabeth A. Burns

ABOUT THE KNICK
THE KNICK is directed by Academy Award^® and Emmy Award^® winner Steven Soderbergh and stars Academy Award^® and Emmy Award^® nominee Clive Owen. Set in downtown New York in 1900, THE KNICK centers on Knickerbocker Hospital and the groundbreaking surgeons, nurses, and staff, who push the bounds of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and zero antibiotics. Series Premiere: Friday, August 8 at 10pm EST on Cinemax.

ABOUT THE BURNS ARCHIVE
The Burns Archive housing over one million historic photographs is renowned for images of the darker side of life: death, disease, disaster, crime, racism, revolution, and war. The cornerstone of The Burns Archive is its unparalleled collection of early medical photography, which is supplemented with an extensive historical medical library. The Burns Archive has produced over 45 books on photographic history and curated and contributed to frequent national and international museum and gallery exhibitions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Paris' musee d'Orsay. Over the past forty years, thousands of publishers, curators, authors, researchers, artists and filmmakers have utilized The Archive and its unique source of visual documentation, including such films as The Others, Jacob's Ladder and Total Recall. These images are unavailable anywhere else and are an invaluable resource for both the entertainment and educational communities.

CONTACT
Elizabeth A. Burns, Creative & Operations Director
The Burns Archive 140 East 38th Street, NY, NY 10016
212-889-1938
www.burnsarchive.com
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140805/133741

SOURCE The Burns Archive