In her wise, whimsical, and at times worried consideration of X-rays, English professor Nicole Lobdell weaves science, history, medicine, culture, and metaphor together to provide a clearer picture of the might and meanings of X-rays. She decides, “X-rays are many things. They are invisible beams of light, haunting pictures, superpowers, and metaphors” (p3). As a bonus, her discussion is decorated by a dozen illustrations including a poster circa 1935 from the National Tuberculosis Association, an X-ray of Adolph Hitler’s skull, and a movie poster advertising the 1963 sci-fi film X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes.

German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895 and received the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. One of the earliest X-rays he took was of his wife’s left hand. Her initial reaction to viewing the image was fright, accompanied by the proclamation: “I have seen my death!” Roentgen did not want the mysterious rays named for him. Instead, the letter X was chosen. Lobdell intriguingly contemplates the power, allure, value, and mystery conjured by that letter. X is employed as a warning symbol, a sign for measurement (2” x 4”) and multiplication, an indication of deletion. There is an X chromosome, X-rating, X-Files, the X-Men, and of course the platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

After their discovery, the use of X-rays spread rapidly even though pioneers of the technology tragically suffered from (often) fatal radiation poisoning and cancer. During World War I, Marie Curie designed mobile X-ray units placed in vans (dubbed “Little Curies”) that delivered the technology and its ability to rapidly diagnose injuries to the battlefield. 

Beyond the significance of establishing an accurate medical diagnosis, Lobdell explores the impact that X-rays have on so many aspects of human culture – literature, cinema, art, language, and even political cartoons. Society now had a different way to view life. Looking inward took on a new meaning. Notions of transparency and exposure merited rethinking. Getting an X-ray was paradoxically an impersonal and intimate act that raised concerns about voyeurism and privacy. Yet a desire to “see inside oneself” became quite popular.

For a time, a kind of X-ray “mania” swept America. The comic book hero Superman made his appearance, and X-ray vision was one of his many super powers. The shoe fluoroscope was a popular device to visualize how a customer’s feet fit properly into shoes during the 1920’s -1960’s. Chest X-rays were widely utilized to screen for tuberculosis from the 1930’s thru the 1960’s. Cabinet X-ray machines to view the contents of luggage and backscatter passenger scanning became fixtures at airports (examples of how X-rays suggest “security”).    James Bond sported X-ray glasses in the film, The World is Not Enough. In 2021, an emoji of a chest X-ray became available. 

X-ray, a small book that punches above its size and weight, is part of the Bloomsbury Academic publisher’s series titled “Object Lessons” that explores “the hidden lives of ordinary things.” Other medically-relevant texts in this series include Doctor, Pill, Pregnancy Test, and Tumor. 

These days, most people are accustomed to being X-rayed – radiographs taken in the ER following an accident or fall, routine dental X-rays, getting X-rayed at the airport, a chest X-ray done for a persistent cough. Some folks are reasonably concerned about the risks of radiation and the overutilization of this technology. Yet ultimately, subjecting yourself to X-rays is a risk-reward calculation that promises diagnosis, maintenance of health, or security in exchange for limited exposure to radiation and permission to intrude on privacy. Lobdell pens a clear, big picture of a surprisingly many-sided subject. The result is a glowing and penetrating examination of the importance, meaning, and influence of X-rays on not just health but all facets of life.  

X-ray by Nicole Lobdell
New York and London: Bloomsbury Academic
2024
121 pages
ISBN 9781501386701