Photographer Cas Oorthuys points his lens at nineteen sixties veterinary medicine
Close-up
According to the Nederlands Fotomuseum website, 'Cas Oorthuys is one of the 20th century's most influential Dutch photographers. After the war, Oorthuys used his camera to capture unique images of the reconstruction effort and renewed spirit of optimism and hard work'. He also explored the subject of veterinary medicine during the early nineteen sixties. This resulted in a beautiful visual record of the veterinary profession of the day.
Cas Oorthuys devoted almost two years to the 'Veterinary Medicine Today' (Diergeneeskunde nú) photo book, published in 1962 to mark the centenary of the Royal Dutch Society for Veterinary Medicine (KNMvD). His photographs sought to capture the beauty and complexity of the veterinary profession in all its facets.
After a period of stagnation during the depression years and Second World War, the faculty experienced a period of rapid growth from around 1960 onwards. Many people started spending more time and money on hobbies. The keeping of various animals for companionship, recreation and sport became an increasingly popular pastime.
The livestock industry was also scaled up and intensified. These developments led to a growing demand for veterinarians. Veterinary practices and the faculty both experienced a sharp rise in the number of patients.
The urgent demand for veterinarians was reflected in a growing amount of education and research programmes.
All photographs by Cas Oortuys were commissioned by the KNMvD, for the photobook 'Veterinary Medicine Today' (Diergeneeskunde nú), published in 1962. The images are from the archive of the University Museum Utrecht, collection Veterinary Medicine.
Support the collection Veterinary Medicine via Stichting Vrienden van Museum Diergeneeskunde.