Röntgen’s very first X-ray image, showing the bones of his wife Bertha’s hand along with her wedding ring, was a visual proof of this ray’s ability to penetrate tissues and highlight denser materials. When she saw the picture, she said: “I have seen my death.” [Ed: Get with the programme, Bertha. It’s not all about you.][

This image demonstrated the vast potential of X-rays, especially in medicine, and quickly captured the public’s imagination. News of the discovery spread rapidly, and within months, scientists and physicians worldwide were replicating Röntgen’s experiments. His contribution was soon recognised on a global scale, and in 1901, he was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics. Notably, Röntgen refused to patent his discovery, believing that its benefits should be freely available to all of humanity.

The practical applications of X-rays quickly became apparent. In the early 20th century, physicians began using X-rays to diagnose fractures, locate foreign objects like bullets, and observe internal conditions. During World War I, X-rays became essential for battlefield medicine, enabling surgeons to identify injuries with unprecedented accuracy.

However, the initial enthusiasm for this new technology often overshadowed concerns about its risks. Prolonged and unprotected exposure to X-rays led to injuries such as burns, hair loss, and, in severe cases, cancer among early researchers and technicians.

The discovery of X-rays also spurred advancements in fields beyond medicine. In physics, X-ray studies provided insights into atomic structures and gave rise to X-ray crystallography, a technique crucial to scientific breakthroughs such as the 1953 discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure by James Watson and Francis Crick.

In art and archaeology, X-rays became tools for non-invasive analysis, helping detect forgeries and reveal hidden details in paintings or ancient artefacts.

Culturally, X-ray imagery inspired public demonstrations at fairs and exhibitions, advertisements, and fictional works. Its journey from a revolutionary scientific breakthrough to cultural touchstone reflected the public's growing fascination with the mysterious and the invisible.

Film and television producers have leveraged X-ray imagery for storytelling and visual impact. From James Bond films that include X-ray gadgets, to comedies where characters are depicted in skeletal form, the concept continues to resonate.

X-rays have even contributed to subversive cultural moments. During the Cold War, Soviet citizens smuggled banned Western music into the country by recording the music onto discarded X-ray films, a practice now celebrated as an act of creative rebellion known as "bone music” (roentgenizdat).

English musician Stephen Coates from the band The Real Tuesday Weld became fascinated with bone music when he came across an X-ray record at a flea market in Saint Petersburg. He was inspired to launch The X-Ray Audio Project, an initiative to provide information about roenrgenizdat recordings with visual images, audio recordings and interviews. Check it out HERE.

Overall, X-rays have transcended their scientific origins to become a multifaceted symbol in popular culture. They evoke a sense of wonder and possibility while also reflecting humanity’s desire to see beyond the surface and uncover hidden truths.
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Postscript: Did anyone really believe that X-Ray Gogs were going to work? Regardless, we sold truck-loads of them at the REMO store back in the day.
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References

wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray
radiologyblog.cincinnatichildrens.org/radiology-through-the-years
radnet.com/northern-california/news/bone-music-fascinating-way-x-rays-were-used-distribute-illegal-music-soviet-union
x-rayaudio.com

Images

1. First medical X-ray by Wilhelm Röntgen of his wife Anna Bertha Ludwig's hand. Photo taken on 22 December 1895.
2. Taking an X-ray image with early Crookes tube apparatus, late 1800s
3. Professor Karl Gustav Lennander removing a pistol bullet from the occipital lobe of the brain in a young man after the foreign body had been localised by X-ray, 1897. Photo credit: Medical Historical Museum, Uppsala
4. Different applications use different parts of the X-ray electromagnetic spectrum.
5. Wilhelm Röntgen commemorative stamp
6. X-ray attraction at a fair ground
7. Film: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes, 1963, Roger Corman
8. Homer Simpson's brain anatomy exposed!
9. Bone music (roentgenizdat)
10. Vintage X-RAY GOGS "Scientific Marvel of the Century"