Andre Hermann is a Houston based portrait and documentary photographer and professor of photography at Houston Community College. His fascination for the human condition, street photography and the iPhone has inspired him to explore diverse social topics, from homeless metal thieves, rare diseases, food justice, inner-city boxing and other topics. He explored medical objects held in the Texas Medical Center Library's McGovern Historical Center.

Hermann said, "Photographing these historical items, I am attempting to give them a voice, a channel to communicate stories they hold. Some of these items were extensions of the person using them in the form of a device or tool. Others helped heal, make us believe we were healthy or made us look physically better. Others act as mirrors, showing us who we were and how we lived during specific time periods. While some items pictured have clearly documented histories, others have no information whatsoever, making them even more mysterious."

See additional photos from Andre J. Hermann Photograph: McGovern Historical Center Archive.

MS 198: Dr. John Bull's Celebrated Pills

MS 198: Dr. John Bull's Celebrated Pills

MS 135: 1 Bottle of Strychnine Sulfate

MS 135: 1 Bottle of Strychnine Sulfate