Alfred Caleb Taylor (1860–1927): X-ray pioneer and martyr

Abstract

Alfred Caleb Taylor was the first radiographer at the Peterborough Infirmary and Dispensary from 1896 to 1923. He constructed the first X-ray apparatus and oversaw the development of the X-ray service in Peterborough. He contracted a chronic radiation dermatitis from exposure to X-rays which was a source of considerable suffering for him. When he died in 1927, X-ray dermatitis was considered to have contributed to his death, and he was recognised as an X-ray martyr and a victim of science. In spite of his achievements and his ill-health from working with X-rays, his name is not included on the Martyrs Memorial in Hamburg.