Beth Linker
The Section on Medical History of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the Radbill Lecture
Monday, September 16, 2024 6:00 pm EDT
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
19 S 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Register here.
Join author and professor Beth Linker for a talk on her latest book, Slouch, The strange and surprising history of the so-called epidemic of bad posture in modern America—from eugenics and posture pageants to today’s promoters of “paleo posture”.
About the Talk:
Many of us have been told at some point in our lives to stand or sit up straight—and usually, with a sense of guilt or embarrassment, we unthinkingly comply. That good posture is beneficial and important to one’s health is a truism that we rarely examine or question. To critically analyze this belief, my talk explores the historical origins of the posture sciences in the early twentieth century. I explain how, despite a lack of physical evidence, upright posture became a widely accepted indicator of health and failures of form a sign of future disability and disease.
Event Timeline:
6:00 - Author Talk
7:15 - Light Reception and Book Signing
**Reserve a copy of Slouch Today. Be sure to check the reserve a book button at checkout to ensure a copy is available.
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About the Speaker:
Beth Linker, a former physical therapist, is an author and professor of the history of science, disability, and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her most recent book, Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America, reveals the little-known and surprising origins of our fears and ideas about poor posture. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, Time, Psyche, The New England Journal of Medicine, and U.S.A. Today.
This event is co-sponsored by The Section on Medical History of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the Radbill Lecture.
About Samuel X Radbill, MD (1901-1987):
Dr. Samuel X Radbill was a pediatrician, bibliophile and medical historian whose life and practice centered in Philadelphia. A graduate of South Philadelphia High School and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, he interned at Lancaster General Hospital before his residency at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In addition to practice out of his home, he was on the pediatric staff at Philadelphia General Hospital and helped found and run free, local pediatric clinics in the city.
When elected a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1943, he was already an avid collector of bookplates and medical texts, promoting the study of medical history through exhibits and activities with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Association for the History of Medicine. Dr. Radbill participated actively in the College’s Section on Medical History, serving at different times as Clerk and as Chair. He was a member of the Council and Bicentennial Committee and a longtime member of the Library Committee, concerned with the direction of Library development. His medical history and bookplate collections were later donated to the College, and the Radbill Lectureship was established to honor his memory and enthusiastic advocacy for medical history.