Research


Administrative History

The Department of Health (DOH) has utilized staff photographers since about 1915. The present Photo Unit's origin, however, was in the establishment in about 1948 of a photographic editorship for Health News, a weekly publication of DOH's Office of Public Health Education (OPHE). In 1949 Health News became a monthly publication for New York's physicians, with a secondary audience of interested laymen. The publication's photographic staff was expanded to three people who also provided photographic services to other units in the Department.

A "photo unit" is first mentioned in DOH's annual report in 1950. This unit was located in OPHE and had a staff of three or four photographers between 1950 and 1975. In 1975 OPHE was abolished and the Photo Unit became part of the Public Health Education Unit (PHEU). At about this same time the Photo Unit's staff was cut in half. The PHEU was replaced in 1977 with the Health Education and Promotion Services Group in the new Office of Public Health. In 1986 this group was abolished and all health promotion activities were consolidated in a Public Affairs Group (PAG) in the Department's Executive Division. The Bureau of Communications Production Services, in which the Photography Unit is now located, is part of PAG.