The Medical and Dental Collection is made up of objects which reflect the development of research specialisms including anatomy, ophthalmology and dentistry, as well as the development of the Medical School, Birmingham School of Dentistry and medical education more broadly.
Full Prototype Pacemaker, Leon Abrams and Ray Lightwood, 1962
Artefacts relating to the history of anatomy and pathology are of particular significance and include a rare group of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century anatomical wax models made by the eminent German model maker Friedrich Ziegler.
Displays in the Medical School feature distinguished physicians who played important roles in the development of the teaching and practice of medicine in Birmingham and the region. Of particular significance are historic portraits of nineteenth-century Birmingham physicians which were transferred from Queen’s College in 2000. More contemporary works include a portrait bust of Professor Dame Hilda Lloyd, the first female President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists by Jacob Epstein.
The Dental Collection explores the rich history of the Dental Hospital, which was the first dental hospital in the UK and the first to award dental degrees in 1909. It comprises a variety of objects including historic dental tools, ephemera and objects relating to the teaching of dentistry.
For further collection history, see our Collections Development Policy.