New Science Museum website helps bring Wellcome's collections to life
5 March 2009
Brought to Life: Exploring the history of medicine is an authoritative, yet approachable, multimedia website. At the heart of the first phase of the project are 2500 significant and, in some cases, truly remarkable objects covering centuries of medical history from around the world.
Many of these fascinating objects will be on view for the first time, while others are also on display in the Science Museum galleries. These include Renaissance treasures, such as rare anatomical wax models and books, early surgical instruments, leech jars, artificial limbs and iron lungs.
Robert Bud, the Science Museum's Principal Curator for Medicine, said: "We are proud to be introducing a resource that is destined to become an acknowledged key tool for students and their teachers. The combination of the unrivalled Wellcome Trust collections and the authority of the Museum's knowledge have produced a site that will be used time and again. But as well as providing a vital service, it is also a new source of thousands of fascinating stories and facts that will enthral anybody with an interest in medical history."
Clare Matterson, Director of Medicine, Society and History at the Wellcome Trust, said, "Henry Wellcome was an avid collector of anything and everything to do with medicine and culture, up until his death in 1936. Brought to Life is a wonderful complement to the galleries at Wellcome Collection, the Science Museum and elsewhere, which can only ever display the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he left for future generations to explore.
"While the website is primarily aimed at students, the vast range of objects that can be viewed, along with the accompanying detail, means Brought to Life is fascinating for everyone with an interest in the history of medicine."
Brought to Life is aimed at GCSE History students studying the 'Medicine Through Time' module, and undergraduates studying the history of medicine. The website also includes material supporting other GCSE subjects and content for anyone with an interest in the topic.
Image credit: Wellcome Images