This mini seminar explores the architectural history of a ubiquitous civic institution: the hospital. Starting in the late eighteenth century, charitable medical clinics were gradually transformed into prodigious "machines" for curing the masses. Over the years, changes to the physical structure of hospitals have reflected the industrial West's political and medical rationales, along with its imperial ambitions.

This course offers a transnational and colonial history of medical infrastructures. Drawing on the work of historians invested in the re-appropriation of spaces of care and confinement, it attempts to show how these infrastructures have, in some cases, led to the emergence of alternative communities and new political subjectivities. By consulting archival materials and a wide array of visualizations, students will develop strategies for the interpretation of architectural plans, while engaging productively with both visual and oral histories.

Textbooks / other materials: All course readings will be available on Canvas.

Course Requirements: Attendance in class; readings; student projects

Intended Audience: Undergraduates

Class Format: Two 80-minute seminar meetings per week for 7 weeks

Estimated Cost of Materials: $0-50

HISTART Major / Minor Distribution Categories: Transregional; Modern and Contemporary