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Figure 1

Citation

Elliott and Fry (London, England). “Dr. Mary Walker.” circa 1866. Greg French Collection. Mirror of Race, 22 Jan. 2021, mirrorofrace.bc.edu/items/show/87. Accessed 18 May 2024.

Title

Dr. Mary Walker

Subject

Dr. Mary Walker

Creator

Elliott and Fry (London, England)

Date

circa 1866

Type

Studio Portrait

Identifier

Figure 1

Rights Holder

Greg French Collection

Original Format

Carte de visite

Factual Commentary

A staunch advocate of women’s rights, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919) was one of the first American women to go to medical school; , during the Civil War, she also became one of the first women to serve as a surgeon for the military, operating on wounded Union soldiers as well as tending civilians on both sides. She served with such distinction that she became the first woman to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor, which she wears here on her left shoulder. Dr. Walker was also a daring believer in the reform of women’s clothing: In this photograph she wears pants (then worn only by men) and a comfortable tunic that allowed the ease of movement needed for the active life of a doctor, then almost universally a man’s profession, while posing in front of a mirror to celebrate her femininity, symbolized by her long hair