Guide to the G.V. Black Manuscripts, Correspondence and Photographs in the Galter Health Sciences Library Northwestern University

Abstract: The Collection includes: manuscripts on general subjects; correspondence between G.V. Black and Dr. Frederick S. McKay on mottled teeth; photographs; correspondence and other memorabilia from the 1893 World Dental Congress held in conjunction with the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Greene Vardiman Black (1836-1915), the acknowledged father of modern dentistry, was born in Winchester, Illinois. His work and contributions to dentistry were all based in Illinois. His career included dental practices in Winchester and Jacksonville, Illinois. Dr. Black taught at several dental schools in the area, and served as the second dean of the Northwestern University Dental School, which became know as the largest and most outstanding institution of its kind under his administration.

Dr. Black contributed to the advancement of dental science by standardizing operative procedures and providing uniformity in the manufacture of amalgam, cavity preparation and dental terminology. His development of dental amalgams, over 150 years ago, set the standards for formulae, clinical use and techniques. He provided the first dental identification and categorization of dental procedures to restore diseased or injured teeth. Among his dental inventions were the foot-powered drill engine and the gnathodynamometer for measuring bite force.