Nikola Tesla’s Foot on an X-ray Image Taken by Himself on a Device of His Own Design, 1896

In 1896, Nikola Tesla used a machine of his own design to capture an X-ray image of his foot. He called this early X-ray photograph a “shadowgraph,” and it clearly showed his foot inside a shoe.

Nikola Tesla, with over 300 patents to his name, is best known for his groundbreaking work in electricity and radio. He may have been the first to discover X-rays, but a devastating fire in 1895 destroyed much of his laboratory, setting back his research.

Shortly after, German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen published his findings on X-rays. Rather than feeling discouraged, Tesla congratulated Röntgen and even sent him some of his own X-ray images, which Röntgen praised. Undeterred, Tesla continued his experiments, developing high-energy vacuum tubes powered by his Tesla coil. These allowed him to produce highly detailed X-ray images, which he called “shadowgraphs.” He even captured images of his own body, including his hand and foot.

Despite his remarkable contributions, Tesla struggled with financial difficulties and personal setbacks later in life. He spent his final years in solitude and passed away at the age of 86.