At the beginning of the twentieth century, tuberculosis was widespread, striking adults and children across lines of class and race. Drawing on the Filson’s manuscript, photograph, and architectural collections, Dr. Lynn Pohl examines how Kentuckians lived with the deadly disease, how they learned about germs and contagion, and why they sought treatment at tuberculosis sanatoria built across the state. It is a history that takes us from whiskey remedies to Louisville women’s public health work, and from Mammoth Cave to a vast complex of patient facilities at Waverly Hills Sanatorium.

Lynn Pohl received her Ph.D. in history at Indiana University and is Collections Cataloger at the Filson