Fleming in Spain: The Hero, the Icon and the Politics of Public Acclaim

The public fame of penicillin and its representation during Alexander Fleming’s visit will be analysed through the rich material I have found in his papers and reports published in the Spanish press. This will enable me to explore the resonances between public homage paid to the new drug and the Catholic basis of the dictatorship, including the extent to which the representation of public acclaim was part of social practices promoted by the political regime. It will also facilitate analysis of the constructed public image of the drama of science and medicine, and its representation in the particular character of Fleming and the new drug. The (dis)connections between Fleming and the Spanish political authorities are issues that inspire reflection on the agency of penicillin in post-war international relationships. As well as the public acclaim of science and medicine—of scientific activity as a manufacturer of commodities for a better life—the ideology of progress in science and medicine was constructed through the misery of the post-war years—in search of a time bereft of advancements due to war and persecution—providing an almost religious adulation.