‘Human Echoes’ is an ongoing practice-based research project that seeks to give voice to the lived experience of women in Glasgow who received obstetric ultrasound scans in the 1960s, when Glasgow led the world in its development.
The experiences of childbearing for the women interviewed for this project were vastly different from those of their own mothers. As the place of birth shifted from home to hospital, there was a seismic shift in the culture of pregnancy and childbirth in the UK. This project shines a light on the narratives of pregnancy and birth as part of this changing culture in 1960s Glasgow.
Drawing on sound recordings of 28 interviews with midwives and doctors who witnessed the early use of obstetric ultrasound and the women who had an ultrasound scan during their pregnancy in Glasgow between 1963 and 1968.
The ‘Human Echoes’ project in the exhibition included a chapter in the publication Ultrasonic Glasgow, a selection of original photographs belonging to the women taken in the 1960s which were re-photographed, enlarged and exhibited along with a sound documentary.
For the publication chapter and sound documentary, extracts from the many narratives shared by the women, midwives and doctors during interviews conducted between March and June 2019 took the reader through the process and experience of having an ultrasound scan - before, during and after – the event. During the interviews, further questions were asked about their experiences of sex education, prenatal care, pregnancy and birth in 1960s Glasgow. This work is being continued in the form of a podcast.