The Royal London Hospital Museum

The Royal London Hospital Museum is located in the former crypt of a fine, late 19th century, early English style church, designed by Arthur Cawston, which has been extensively restored. The museum, which has a separate entrance in Newark Street, reopened to the public in 2002 following a major refurbishment, supported by grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Barts and The London Charity.

The Museum has revamped sections on the history of the hospital since its foundation in 1740, including those dedicated to Joseph Merrick (the 'Elephant Man'), and former London Hospital nurses, Edith Cavell and Eva Luckes. A showcase on forensic medicine features original material on the Whitechapel ('Jack the Ripper'), murders and the London Hospital surgeon and curator, Thomas Horrocks Openshaw who helped to investigate. It also has a permanent exhibition of artefacts and archives relating to the hospital and the history of healthcare in the East End. Works of art, surgical instruments, medical and nursing equipment, uniforms, medals, and written archives and printed books are included. The museum is in three sections: the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and there are special sections on hospital uniforms (usually four uniforms are on show), forensic medicine and dentistry (including a denture made for George Washington). There is a video viewing facility where four films are currently available for viewing by museum visitors: they include QED: the true story of the Elephant Man (BBC Television, 1997) and In the shadow of Merrick - a Rethinking disability representation project film by David Hevey in which people with disabilities talk about their feelings about their own experience of life as spectacles (2008).

For more information on events at The Royal London Hospital Museum, please visit their website.