10 November 2005
Hospitals at War Exhibition Opens at Ninewells Hospital
Photo call: Monday 14 November 2005 at 5.30pm
Main Foyer, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School
Official opening of Hospitals at War exhibition
War-time nurse Bunty Smith will be in attendance
A fascinating new exhibition exploring the life of Tayside's hospitals and medical services during the Second World War is set to open at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee on Monday 14 November.
Funded by a £9000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund's Home Front Recall programme, the Hospitals at War exhibition will feature a wide range of photographs, official documents and rare personal memorabilia, much of which has never before been displayed in public.
Some of the items are part of the collections of the Tayside Medical History Museum (jointly run by the University of Dundee Museum Services and NHS Tayside), while many others have been lent by a variety of individuals and organisations. They include WW2 uniforms, medical equipment and a photograph of an operation being carried out in the bridal suite at Gleneagles Hotel.
"The hotel was requisitioned as an emergency hospital during the war," explained Mr Matthew Jarron, Curator of Museum Services at the University of Dundee. "Among the patients treated there were film stars David Niven and Stewart Grainger."
"We also have an early phial of penicillin which was like gold dust during the war so it is amazing that someone held on to it."
Preparation for the exhibition, which is organised by the Tayside Medical History Museum, has included interviewing three nurses who completed their training at Dundee Royal Infirmary during the war.
One of the nurses, Bunty Smith, will be giving a speech at the official opening in Ninewells Hospital on Monday (November 14).
"There are only three of her year still alive and they have all been a great help to us in preparing for the exhibition," said Mr Jarron. "It is one thing to read official reports of the time but that only gives part of the story. Bunty and her colleagues have been able to tell us what life was really like."
The exhibition, which will run until March 3 next year, is being staged in the main concourse area of Ninewells Hospital and organisers are hopeful it will attract thousands of visitors.
"About 4000 people a day visit the hospital so there is a potentially huge audience," said Mr Jarron.
The opening ceremony will take place in the main foyer of Ninewells Hospital on Monday 14 November at 5.30pm.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Tayside Medical History Museum is run jointly by the University of Dundee Museum Services and NHS Tayside. To find out more about the museum visit the website at: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/medical.htm
The Big Lottery Fund's Home Front Recall Programme is a joint funding scheme from the Lottery good cause distributors the Big Lottery Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund. It provides small grants to fund activities across the UK to commemorate the part played by those on the home front during the war years. For more information visit the website at http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Images from the exhibition are available by contacting:
For more information contact:
Hilary McNally
Press Office
University of Dundee
01382 344021
h.mcnally@dundee.ac.uk
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