Polio objects

Polio is a condition of the body, but also something which is deeply rooted in material culture. Iconic symbols of polio (iron lung respirators, vaccines on sugar lumps, children in callipers) endure in our collective consciousness, especially in the West.

This online exhibition explores different objects related to polio, including their origins, usage and experiences of interacting with them.

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Some other polio objects

Action for the Crippled Child Charity Collection Box. Source: Pinterest.
Patient Operated Selector Mechanism (‘She has the World at Her Feet’, Ann Armstrong operating a POSUM with her feet. The Bulletin, Jul 1963, p. 7.)
Above-the-Knee Calliper, 1954.
The British Polio Fellowship Newsletter, The Bulletin, May 1969.