StoriesInside Our CollectionsStories inspired by the objects, manuscripts and more in our archives.Series informationinformationcloseWoodblock: Ambrosia altera, Benjamin Gilbert. Source: Wellcome Collection. CC BY. In picturesTesla, quacks and violet raysImagine a device that can treat everything from baldness to gout. Too good to be true? Yes, and it was banned – but not before hundreds were hoodwinked. In picturesBorn to playOur understanding of the importance of play in a child’s development has become increasingly sophisticated over the centuries. Explore the ways different eras have regarded childhood games. In picturesThe evolution of war-zone medicineThe need to deal with battlefield injuries has led to inventive designs for extreme situations. Find out how camel-drawn ambulances and flat-pack hospitals have helped casualties survive. In picturesThe death-defying science of the aeronautsAir ballooning is not as serene as you might think. Read about the perilous exploits of two early aeronauts who risked life and limb to better understand the science of the weather. In picturesHumans, animals and the sensory worldArtists and medics through the ages have made links between our discerning human senses and similar traits in animals. Discover how close we are to the earth’s other inhabitants. In picturesFrom female impersonation to dragHow did drag develop from light-hearted female impersonation to a world-dominating art form? In picturesFaces from the archivesMeet some of the lesser-known but no less extraordinary figures in the history of medicine, through a series of original portraits. In picturesChinese pillow historyWhat is the ideal pillow? In Chinese culture, the ideal shifted over time, and views on a good sleep also reveal attitudes about studying, love, food and drink. In picturesSuperstition, contagion and medical rumourThe great generator of confusion, rumours have not spared human health from their chaos. Find out how whispers, gossip and rumours have caused medical mishaps through the ages. In picturesThe aphrodisiac apothecaryNot in the mood? Come and visit our traditional drug store for natural tonics rumoured to increase sexual desire. ArticleA medieval guide to practical magicWith few sources of effective help available when treating an injured patient, the medieval physician could instead stage a healing ceremony using a practical how-to guide he carried with him. In picturesMedical manipulations and the history of physiotherapyFrom gymnastics to splints and uterine massage, the history of physiotherapy takes in a surprisingly broad range of people and practices. In picturesSouthern Italy’s centuries-long dancing maniaHow the symptom of a terrifying sickness became a lively folk dance in southern Italy. In picturesThe birth of ante-natal classesIs childbirth an athletic feat? Kathleen Vaughan certainly thought so, developing the first modern exercise class for women in pregnancy. In picturesThe serious side of historical gamesSome games carry a weighty message, from the earliest form of snakes and ladders that led to either heaven or hell, to chess pieces representing the dangerous manoeuvres of unsafe sex in the 80s. In picturesElectric marvels in the age of enlightenmentHow our understanding of electricity has grown, from novelty to the pulse of modern life – and the inner fire that powers the human machine. In picturesFinding the ‘men’ in mental healthExplore how ideas about masculinity have influenced the way men talk about and experience their mental health, from the 1800s to today. In picturesHow Brits went soft on toilet paper20th-century studies reveal a whole host of anxieties about the terrors of soft toilet paper. In picturesMoles’ feet, dried frogs and other folk medicinesEarly-20th-century folklorist Edward Lovett made it his mission to discover the nation’s beliefs and superstitions, collecting amulets from cottage cupboards up and down the country. ArticleMedieval doodlesFish, lute players and defaced demons: marginal doodles in some of Europe’s first printed books provide a tantalising glimpse into the late-medieval mind. In picturesBloodletting at the barber-surgeon’sScratchy throat? Burning fever? Broken heart? It all comes down to the same issue: too much blood. InterviewSniffing glue and Scientology in the DrugScope archiveAcademics on hallucinogenics, kids sniffing glue, and Scientologists recruiting drug users keen to kick the habit. Delve into Wellcome’s recently acquired DrugScope archive. In picturesSex and syphilisBefore antibiotics, syphilis unleashed centuries of misery, countered by desperate but largely useless remedies. With the spread of syphilis on the rise, it’s worth remembering what our forebears suffered. In picturesWhen civilisation made people sickSickness from nervous exhaustion is not a new thing. Over a hundred years ago, neurasthenia afflicted society’s ‘brain-workers’. In picturesThe healing sunFrom ancient sun gods to artificial light, our relationship to our star has morphed over the centuries, but the sun's power to affect our health is more noticeable than ever. ArticleFantastic beasts and unnatural historyFind out how a 17th-century compendium of the natural world came to present fantastical beasts –like dragons – as real, living creatures. In picturesIn pursuit of purityMany cultures associate physical cleanliness with spiritual purity, while disease and dirt are signs of moral pollution. In picturesA medical history of smoking, from cure to killerToday smoking is seen publicly as a deadly vice, privately perhaps as more of a guilty pleasure. Follow tobacco’s journey over the centuries from medical remedy to killer carcinogen. In picturesPutti of scienceChubby little winged boys known as putti frequently adorn scientific illustrations. Sometimes portrayed as reverent and sometimes cheeky, they guide our pursuit of knowledge. In picturesBackstroke to the futureNow one of the most popular forms of exercise, the health-giving properties of swimming have not always been recognised. Dive into a gallery that charts the course from water as site of danger to a space of health. In picturesFantasies of the futureHow accurately can we imagine the future? These past prognostications suggest that we cannot escape the pull of our own time and its biases. In picturesDeadly stinks and life-saving aromas in plague-stricken LondonIn the plague-ravaged London of 1665, could perfume really save your life? In picturesExposing the secrets of the human bodyScientists, artists, and philosophers have long studied our anatomy to try to discover what it means to be human. In picturesFake news in the 17th centuryAn uncanny resemblance to today’s Twitter tiffs characterises a 17th-century argument about demons. Read what happened when the printing presses went into overdrive. In picturesMiracle cure-alls throughout the agesFrom the elixir of life to radium, humans have always searched for a panacea: something to cure every ill. But instead it’s only highlighted our anxieties and preoccupations throughout history. In picturesDeath around the world in ten objectsDeath is many things to many cultures: violent, holy, frightening, calm, disgusting... or just a gateway to another life. StoryDial ‘S’ for sexIn pre-internet days, phone boxes became a patchwork of ‘tart cards’ offering sexual services. Find out about the clandestine world they hint at. ArticleUncovering experiences of dementiaFocusing on three 19th-century women’s case notes, Millie van der Byl Williams explores how our definition of dementia has changed. In picturesThe hidden meanings inside these 1920s Easter egg postcardsThere’s something unexpectedly flirtatious and flamboyant about the smart young people featured in these French postcards. StoryNative Americans and the dehumanising force of the photographIn the second part of Native Americans through the 19th-century lens, we delve deeper into the ambivalent messages within the images. StoryNative Americans through the 19th-century lensThe stories behind Rinehart's photographs may not be as black and white as they first appear. ArticleA reflection on art in a mental hospitalArtist Beth Hopkins explains how she used her experience of researching the Adamson Collection to create an embroidered wall hanging. StoryLovesickness and ‘The Love Thief’An 11th-century poem of love, lust and possibly gruesome death still resonates today. In pictures500 years of strange dietsOdd diets aren’t just for January. Here are some examples that go back way further than New Year’s Day. Story‘Jessy’, a film about cerebral palsyHow the 1950s British film industry portrayed this disease. StoryInfographics existed before you thought they didFrom an erotic hanky to a tree of life, there are some curious examples of information design in our collection. StoryGuerrilla public healthFrom safe-use guides to needle exchange schemes, Harry Shapiro reflects on 40 years of drug harm reduction in the UK. ArticleChildren in burns prevention campaignsWhose responsibility is it to prevent accidental burns and scalds in the home? Shane Ewen’s research shows that it’s everyone’s concern. In picturesAIDS awareness posters from the 1980s onwardsThe AIDS public health poster campaign chose print even in the internet age and dealt with issues of identity and behaviour like never before. ArticleMummies revealedGo behind the scenes with the co-curator of the Reading Room to see how she CT scanned a mummy from our collections. ArticleThe birth of the public museumThe first public museums evolved from wealthy collectors’ cabinets of curiosities and were quickly recognised as useful vehicles for culture.
