On the Saturday before I went back to work, I headed down to the Florence Nightingale Museum. I had been planning to go for a while, but then COVID hit. The museum has reopened – albeit only on the first full weekend of each month – so I took this opportunity to visit. The museum, which is on the site of St Thomas’ Hospital, can be reached via Waterloo station or via Westminster station and then crossing Westminster Bridge, which is how I got there.
The museum explores the life of Florence, the famous Crimean War nurse who was known as “The Lady with the Lamp”. The current exhibition Florence Nightingale in 200 Objects, People & Places marks the 200th anniversary of Florence’s birth in 1820 (originally planned for 2020, the exhibition has been extended into 2021). In the museum and exhibition there are countless artefacts that bring Florence to life and tell her story.
The first section of the museum covers Florence’s childhood, growing up in a middle-class educated family. Artefacts such as photos, sketches and books belonging to her and her sister Parthenope are displayed here, alongside more unusual exhibits such as Florence’s pet owl Athena, stuffed after its death. Bibles and prayer books show Florence’s religious faith, and other books and novels reveal the breadth of her education.
The next section looks at the time Florence spent nursing in the Crimea, with artefacts from the time including medicine chests, nurse’s uniforms and record books. Florence’s main strengths were in management and organisation, and she kept her trainee nurses in line – sometimes rather strictly. She also – crucially – implemented hygienic practices such as handwashing, which helped to reduce the death rate, as most soldiers died due to poor sanitation rather than injuries.
After the Crimea, Florence set up a nursing school back in England and published Notes on Nursing, a classic of the genre. She influenced the sphere of nursing for decades to come. This section also looks at nursing in a wider context, and features other notable nurses such as Edith Cavell (her stuffed dog is on display here) and Mary Seacole. The special exhibition section at the back of the building had lots more objects including letters, photographs, documents, and even a Florence Nightingale Barbie which was released last year.
The museum is well worth a visit: it has plenty to see and everything is well organised and displayed. Book a visit soon and support this small but worthwhile museum.
FACTS
Address: St Thomas’ Hospital, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EW
Website: florence-nightingale.co.uk
Opening Hours: First full weekend of every month, 10.15am – 4.30pm
Price: Adult £9, concession £7, student £6, child £5