The JECH Gallery: a call for public health photographs

The Theory and Methods section this issue contains a paper that explores the use of photographs as a tool for public health. The paper from Nigel Bruce shows, along with various examples, an explanation of the potential uses of images as crucial for health advocacy and what is more important a personal account of Bruce's experience in this learning process.

The publication of this paper has prompted us to rescue an old initiative already discussed with some members of our editorial committee: starting a new section called “The JECH Gallery” in which images will be more prominent than text in contrast with the usual papers we publish. In doing this we want to use the advantages of images over words in triggering evocations and in reflecting on aspects of human life. Even though putting together the best quantitative and qualitative information on a topic can help you understand it, with a good image you can really feel it. To me, after reading hundreds of papers on inequalities in health in my professional life the best pieces of information come from a Brazilian artist named Sebastiao Salgado who has captured an impressive collection of human faces suffering from poverty and abuse.

So let us start, any photograph of acceptable quality and of interest for a wide public health audience will be considered to be published in our Gallery—the range of subjects will be as wide as the interest of our contributors—the only items we need are a paper copy (glossy print), a title, a footnote of no more than 50 words and, of course, a covering letter with an authorship statement. We wait for your contributions to this new section.