A leg to stand on.

Date:
1969
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Credit

A leg to stand on. In copyright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

About this work

Description

A film which has a number of mini-biographies of amputees; the first amputee is a pretty model who calls her prosthetic 'Henry', she is filmed being photographed on a shoot. There is a a brief historical view on how people who are different are treated. In the Walking School, patients who are mostly elderly are rehabilitated and receive lessons in how to walk with their prostheses (this is shot with a slightly sepia tone). A psychiatrist talks about the difficulties the patients experience, especially when they are discharged. A male patient, a former police officer has virtually no stump on one side and has a special prosthetic developed in Canada; he is agile and back at work as a police officer. In his spare time, he enjoys amateur dramatics. His career is described in detail and the details of his accident. With his wife, they talk about the impact of losing his leg. He described why he made the decision to be ordained as a minister. A comparison is made between old-style and modern sockets for a prosthetic. A man of Irish origin details his life; he makes breakfast and keeps house for his adult son who is a postman. He then goes to work; he is a tailor's assistant and explains how his accident led to his poor education. He watches bowls.

Publication/Creation

1969.

Physical description

1 encoded moving image (25:31 min.) : sound, colour.

Duration

00:25:31

Notes

This film forms part of a collection of films donated to Wellcome Trust in 2006 by Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton Lane, London.

Terms of use

Unrestricted / Open.

Language note

In English.

Type/Technique

Languages

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