A landmark painting

Gerard Soest (c.1605–1681) may not be the most familiar name to even an ardent art fan. Similarly, Gilbert Zoust is probably not on the tip of your tongue. But, as well as possessing more than his fair share of alternative names, he is an artist with some pedigree. Although Dutch-German of origin, Soest (we’ll stick…

Medicine:The Wellcome Galleries

Hunter’s Gravid Uterus at the Science Museum I recently visited the Science Museum in South Kensington to look at their brand new Medicine Galleries. Of particular interest is one of our very own items. Some time ago the Science Museum approached me to ask if they could borrow one of our copies of the First…

A New Home for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

For readers of this Blog who are unaware, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists will be relocating later this year. New premises have been secured at Union Street near London Bridge. The work on the new building should be completed in the autumn 2019 with the move to take place before the end of November….

The Wandering Womb exhibition at the Royal College of Nursing

Late last year the RCOG lent a few items to the Royal College of Nursing for their temporary exhibition ‘The Wandering Womb’. The exhibition is still on until 22nd March 2019, after which part of the exhibition will travel to Edinburgh. Items lent by the RCOG include specula, pessaries, a coloscope and 19th century texts on…

Christmas in the Archives

Christmas in the Archives at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives   As a way to demonstrate the variety of material we have in the Archive and to have a bit of fun in the festive season we searched the collections to see what we have relating to…

Throwback Thursday: Abyssinian Medical Book

Throwback Thursday: Abyssinian Medical Book This unusual item was originally part of the rare book collection and was presented to the College Library by Roy Dobbin. Roy Dobbin was a foundation fellow of the College and professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Egyptian University in Cairo. He was also a collector of rare medical…

In the Archives: William Blair Bell and Cancer Research

  As September is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness month this blog will focus on a collection in the archive related to cancer research. The RCOG archives have extensive collections relating to Professor William Blair Bell, co-founder of the College and the first President, serving from 1929 to 1931. These collections cover his career and interests, both…

Happy 70th Birthday NHS

NHS 70 On the 5th July 2018 the NHS turns 70. It may not have been a smooth ride and there may still be many changes to make in the future but it is fair to say that the NHS has transformed healthcare in the United Kingdom. It should be celebrated that for 70 years…

Open House London Festival

We were excited to open our doors to the public on 21 September as part of Open House London Festival, a two-week celebration of London’s housing, architecture and neighbourhoods. The Archivist and Curator delivered two well-attended tours of the College’s new home at 10–18 Union Street, talking about the history of the building and showcasing…

We are open!

The Heritage Team are delighted to report that we are now open for research appointments and museum tours at the College’s brand-new building at 10–18 Union Street. Following the official opening of the building on 27 April 2022 by HRH The Princess Royal and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, both the Library and Heritage Collections…

Covid-19 Update: Temporary Closure of Heritage Service

Please see the following update on the Current situation: Due to the ongoing situation surrounding Covid-19 and pending further government reviews, the Heritage service has been temporarily suspended and we will be unable to respond to emails or enquiries at this time. Please re-direct enquiries regarding archived guidelines and publications or any urgent queries to…

Covid-19 update

Please see below for an update on our service in response to the current coronavirus pandemic: Library and Heritage Collection services during Union Street temporary closure  The new Reading and Quiet Room is closed until further notice during the temporary closure of Union Street due to Covid-19.  The Library and Archive Collections will continue to…

Opening of the new Reading Room at Union Street

This is just a very quick update to say the Archive is now open again to visitors by Appointment! The official opening of the College will not be for a little while yet, but from Tuesday 3rd March we have been able to open the Reading Room to visitors to the library and archive collections….

Goodbye Sussex Place

It has been a long time since I have posted a blog. The preparations for the move to Union Street have kept the Heritage and Library teams very busy. Today is the last working day at Sussex Place. It has been 59 years since the College moved into its home in Sussex Place but the…

Move Update

Please find below our official move update:   Library and Heritage Collections: our move and temporary closure Later this year, mid-November, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) will be moving to their new home in Union Street, located close to London Bridge. The RCOG’s Research and Information Services, including library, archives, rare books,…