Howard Kelly Collection of Florence Nightingale prints and photographs, circa 1840-1949 and undated

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Summary

Creator:
Kelly, Howard A. (Howard Atwood), 1858-1943
Abstract:
Howard Atwood Kelly was a surgeon, gynecologist, professor, author, collector of medical memorabilia, and founder of the Kensington Hospital in Philadelphia; he served as the first professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine. Among his interests was the life of Florence Nightingale and her memorialization through images. The Howard Kelly Collection of Florence Nightingale Prints and Photographs represents the collecting efforts of Howard Atwood Kelly, a surgeon, professor, author, and collector of medical memorabilia. The collection comprises 60 images and other memorializations associated with Florence Nightingale, 19th century nurse and healthcare reformer. Image formats include engravings, photographs (some of which are albumens), lithographs, mezzo tints, prints, and postcards; in addition, there are photographic and slide reproductions of drawings, lithographs, engravings, crayon drawings, paintings, and sculptures. Almost all the images are mounted on cardstock boards. Portrayals of Nightingale span her adult lifetime; there are images of her during her early career as a nurse in Britain, and providing nursing care for wounded soldiers in Turkey during the Crimean War. There are also images of her birth and death places. Also included are one piece of popular sheet music (1857) and typed explanatory notes. Reproductions also accompany many of the images. Arranged in rough chronological order by date of publication or creation. Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collections at Duke University.
Extent:
1 Linear Foot
60 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00951

Background

Scope and content:

The Howard Kelly Collection of Florence Nightingale Prints and Photographs represents the collecting efforts of Howard Atwood Kelly, a surgeon, gynecologist, professor, author, collector of medical memorabilia, and founder of the Kensington Hospital in Philadelphia. He served as the first professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine. The collection is composed of images and memorials associated with Florence Nightingale, 19th century nurse, author, and sanitation and healthcare reformer. Image formats include engravings, photographs, lithographs, mezzo tints, prints, postcards, and photographic and slide reproductions of drawings, lithographs, engravings, crayon drawings, paintings, and sculptures. Unless otherwise noted, all images are in black and white. Almost all are mounted on cardstock boards. The images depict Florence Nightingale throughout her adult life; some also portray monuments to Nightingale, and geographical locations associated with her birth, death, and nursing career, including her activities in Scutari (Istanbul) tending to wounded soldiers, the peak of her popularization in the media of the time. Also included are one piece of sheet music (1857) and typed explanatory notes. Reproductions in slide and photograph format accompany many of the images. Arranged chiefly in chronological order by date of publication or creation. Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collections at Duke University.

Biographical / historical:

Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 to a wealthy family living at the time in Florence, Italy. She was instrumental in the establishment of training for nurses, improvements in standards of hygiene, and compassionate care of patients in military and civilian hospitals and the workhouses of Britain. Her activities and service during the Crimean War, 1854-1856, elevated her to iconic status; the popular press began reporting extensively on her travels and her crusade for healthcare and sanitary reforms. She founded the Nightingale School of Nurses at St. Thomas' Hospital in London in 1860, the first of its kind. She also traveled to Greece and Egypt. During the Indian Mutiny, the American Civil War, and the Franco-Prussian War she consulted with military officials on hospitals and medical care. She wrote extensively on nursing, healthcare and sanitation, and healthcare statistics. Her life was memorialized through named institutions, biographies, photographic and print images, music, dramas, poetry, sculptures, and plaques. She died in London in 1910.

Acquisition information:
The Howard Kelly Collection of Florence Nightingale Prints and Photographs was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library in 2011 as a transfer from the Medical Center Library.
Processing information:

Processed by Nathalie Baudrand and Paula Jeannet, July 2012

Encoded by Nathalie Baudrand and Paula Jeannet, July 2012

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Howard Kelly Collection of Florence Nightingale Prints and Photographs, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.