This Sneeze Was for Science: Archiving the Visual Legacy of Consumer Reports

Abstract: This Sneeze Was for Science is an archival photography exhibition at Duke University’s Rubenstein Library, on view from November 7, 2025 to April 5, 2026. The exhibition presents striking images from the early product testing work of the Consumer Reports organization to show how visual evidence shaped public trust in consumer advocacy and how Consumer Reports used photography to make scientific testing visible, credible, and accessible to the public. Featuring photographs of flaming televisions, piles of charred toast, and airborne sneeze droplets, the exhibition illustrates how Consumer Reports used photography to make scientific testing visible, credible, and accessible to the public. The images also reveal photography’s inherent subjectivity, highlighting the tension between the desire for objectivity and the interpretive choices involved in creating each photograph. Drawn from the Consumer Reports Iconographic Collection within a large archival acquisition now held by Duke University, the exhibition emphasizes the importance of preserving visual materials that document the history of product testing, consumer protection, and corporate accountability. These photographs also serve as valuable teaching tools that communicate complex scientific processes through clear and engaging visual storytelling.