Beyond the Flask: Rethinking Our Invisible Microbial Co-habitants in the Age of Food Studies

In 1952, the portraitist Robert Thom captured a scene of clinical serenity: French chemist Louis Pasteur, bathed in soft light, inspects experimental flasks while his wife, Marie, watches from an…

Beyond the Sterile Flask: Reimagining Human-Microbial Relations in the Post-Pasteurian Era

In 1952, portrait artist Robert Thom captured a vision of scientific conquest that would define the mid-20th century. His depiction of French chemist Louis Pasteur, bathed in the light of…

Beyond the Sterile Flask: Reimagining Human-Microbial Entanglements in the Post-Pasteurian Era

In 1952, the pharmaceutical titan Parke, Davis and Company unveiled a portrait by Robert Thom titled Louis Pasteur. The image was part of a sweeping propaganda project, "Great Moments in…

Beyond the Flask: Rethinking Our Invisible Symbiosis with Microbes

In 1952, the pharmaceutical giant Parke, Davis and Company commissioned portrait artist Robert Thom to capture a series titled Great Moments in Medicine. Among the most iconic was a depiction…