Incoherent scattering cross-sections for 11 moderate to high atomic number elements have been experimentally determined using 59.54 keV gamma rays emitted by the radionuclide 241 Am. Measurements were performed using a standard back-scattering geometry set up to obtain scattering angles of 145°, 154° and 165°. Resulting photon momentum transfers were in the range 4.58⩽x⩽4.76 Å −1 . High purity (better than 99.9%) foils of Cu, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Ta and W were used as targets. Results of measurements, good to within a conservative experimental uncertainty of 10%, reveal no systematic trend in departure from agreement with tabulated theoretical incoherent-scattering cross-sections based upon non-relativistic wave functions.