Of course they did! In fact, I found out that at least 50% of the preemie babies in the St. Louis exhibit died due to some disease (most likely related to the practice of publicly displaying severely premature babies and charging 15-25 cents for people to gawk at them, but also due to the fact that the profit-seeking business in charge of displaying them had no knowledge of infant care or any type of medical care). And after the catastrophe at the St. Louis fair, doctors started to think more about premature infant care ... and more proper display (since they kept doing this as Worlds Fairs for several more decades, but just put a piece a glass between the viewers and the babies).I'm glad things have changed ... although maybe we should have charged $1 for people to peek through the window in the Special Care nursery to see our little baby shaking under the light table -- we could have started that college fund a bit earlier ; )
Aw poor little sad Holden! You couldn't find a happier picture of him?
ReplyDeleteMike and Bryna:
ReplyDeleteThe "Infant Incubators" were indeed a concession at the 1904 World's Fair, and at other Fairs of the era. They helped many premature babies survive, who otherwise would have died. THey also helped advance the science of infant care.
The babies weren't exhibited as 'sideshows', though the exhibit may have been inappropriately placed on the 'midway', rather than in the scientific exhibits. Remember, the culture and science of 1904 was very different (and immature) than what we know today.
You need to read your second link (about Dr. Zahorsky) and realize that this was a serious exhibit, not a 'sideshow'. There are other articles, at: http://www.neonatology.org/pinups/stlouis.html and the 9 linked articles, telling about the exhibit.
And, search for information about the Infant Incubators on the web...
Mike
1904wfs@charter.net
www.1904worldsfairsociety.org