Heritage Collections
The College Museum Collection
Introduction
The creation of the
Museum Collection was the brainchild of the Foundation Council who
recognised the importance of collecting and preserving the wide
range of instruments and equipment used by GPs during the last two
centuries.
Fellows and Members of the College and many other benefactors
have given generously towards ‘The Collection’ over the years and
continue to do so.
The variety of items in the museum bears witness to the
extent and diversity of skills practised by both our contemporaries
and predecessors.
The collection consists of some five hundred objects some of
which are quite rare and of outstanding interest and value. A few
items predate the 18th century and the whole collection
is of great importance to the heritage of General Practice.
The curators have
catalogued the acquisitions according to their specialty to
facilitate the individual interest of General Practitioners and
other professionals in primary care. Many of the items will be of
significance to those interested in the History of Medicine.
The displays we are able to demonstrate are somewhat limited
by the space available within the College and the curators keep
them under constant review.
The earliest objects currently on display include antique
apothecary jars and a mid-17
th century pewter baptismal
syringe. On permanent display is our
Edmund
Culpeper monocular microscope with accessories, circa
1725.
At the request of the
Imperial War Museum, Manchester,
the College, through the Heritage Committee, has loaned some
seventy-five items from its collection to the Museum. The aim of
the display is to depict the equipment used in general practice in
the post-war years prior to the establishment of the NHS.
The Heritage Committee would welcome any further donations of
medical equipment to add to ‘The Collection’.
Curators: Dr. Peter Thomas; Dr. Kenneth Scott.
Email
History, Heritage and Archives
Links to other Medical
Museums