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- Britain - Nations & Empire
- Smallpox Through Time
- c.1045BC |Face of a Pharaoh
- c.1562 |Arsenic and Old Lace
- c.1617 |Smallpox in America
- c.1711 |Child Pox
- c.1721 |Experiment in Newgate
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- c.1796 |Jenner's Breakthrough
- c.1800 |The Vaccine Triumphant
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- c.1853 |Public Health & Protest
- c.1896 |Epidemic on Camera
- c.1967 |Global Action
- c.2010 |Smallpox Today
- The American West
- Britain - Changing Lives
- This Module
- In 1896 - a century on from Jenner's discovery of the cowpox vaccine - a smallpox epidemic hit the English cathedral city of Gloucester. It was recorded in harrowing pitcures taken by a local photographer. Why was Glouceser hit so badly when a vaccine was so readily available? The answer reveals the difficulty of imposing public health in Victorian Britain.
- Credits
Smallpox Through Time
The story of the Gloucester epidemic: a century on from the discovery of the vaccine, smallpox spreads unchecked... (3 mins)
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12.Global Action
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1967-1977
next video 12/13
Secondary Resources
- 1. The vaccine controversy
Over the past thirty years, historians have debated... Read more
- 2. Resistance to vaccination
From the start, vaccination had its critics... Read more
- 3. The persistence of smallpox
Because of widespread resistance to vaccination... Read more
- 4. Vaccination vs 'variolation'
Inoculation against smallpox ('variolation') was... Read more
- 5. The decline of smallpox in the West
By the early 20th century, smallpox fatalities... Read more
Picture Viewer
Location details
I seem to have spent a disproportionate slice of my life filming in Gloucester. I used the cathedral crypt for key scenes in a film I made on Thomas Becket. And my old History File series 'Medieval Realms' featured the nave, the cloister, and the exquisite effigy of Edward II.
This module was filmed on one of the coldest days of this recent perishingly cold winter. I was shivering between takes and Jon's hands were freezing to the camera. For my next film project I'd like to do something warm, please. A history of India sounds appealing...!
Our Sponsor: The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charity dedicated to achieving improvements in human and animal health.
Timelines: "Smallpox through Time" was entirely funded with through a Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Award. We are very grateful for the Trust's support in the making of this resource.
