NRS-9873 | Photographs of doctors

This series consists of photographs of doctors applying for registration as medical practitioners in New South Wales. The photographs were required by the Medical Board of New South Wales from the beginning of 1889 to assist in the future identification of those issued with a licence by the Board.Signed photographs were to be furnished to the Medical Board’s Secretary prior to the applicant’s appearance in front of the Board. Some photographs contain the photographer’s business details and most photographs are undated.The photographs are arranged in two sequences. The photographs in boxes 2/715-726 are arranged alphabetically by the applicant’s surname and those in boxes 2/727-762 are arranged numerically by registration number commencing at 1506. These registration numbers can be found in the Register of medical practitioners for New South Wales (NRS15581). It is unclear why the Medical Board used these two systems of arrangement.The use of photographs for identifying medical practitioners was introduced after a motion was carried by a meeting of the Medical Board on 14 November 1888. The motion called “For the future identification of those who receive the licence to practice from the Medical Board of New South Wales, Each candidate shall be photographed and the picture kept by the Secretary.”(1) There were regular prosecutions of individuals acting as medical practitioners who were not registered and the increased reliability in identifying these individuals would aid in their prosecution. Notification to applicants of the need to include a signed photograph with their application was published on 4 December 1888 in the New South Wales Government Gazette (No.755, p8611).References1. Minutes of the Medical Board of New South Wales, 14 November 1888, State Records reference number NRS9871/1 2/711.

本系列藏品为新南威尔士州申请医师执业注册的医生肖像照片。新南威尔士州医疗委员会自1889年初起要求申请人提交此类照片，用于后续识别该委员会颁发执业许可的持证人员。申请人需在出席医疗委员会的审核听证前，将签名后的照片提交给委员会秘书。部分照片标注有摄影师的经营信息，绝大多数照片未标注拍摄日期。

该批照片采用两种分类排序规则：存放在编号2/715至2/726的档案盒中的照片，按申请人姓氏的字母顺序排列；存放在编号2/727至2/762的档案盒中的照片，则以起始编号为1506的注册编号按数字顺序排列。此类注册编号可在《新南威尔士州医师执业注册登记簿》（NRS15581）中查询获取。目前尚无明确资料说明医疗委员会采用双套分类体系的缘由。

1888年11月14日，新南威尔士州医疗委员会会议通过一项动议，自此正式引入通过照片识别持证医师的管理机制。该动议内容为：“为实现对新南威尔士州医疗委员会颁发执业许可人员的后续识别，每位申请人需拍摄肖像照片，并由委员会秘书留存该照片。”(1) 当时频繁出现针对未取得执业资质却从事医疗服务人员的追诉案件，提升此类人员的甄别准确性，将有助于相关追诉工作的开展。1888年12月4日，《新南威尔士州政府公报》（第755期，第8611页）刊登通知，告知申请人需在申请材料中附具签名后的照片。

参考文献1. 新南威尔士州医疗委员会会议记录，1888年11月14日，州档案编号：NRS9871/1 2/711。