Historic surgical museum to reopen

RCS

London’s historic museum of surgery reopens next month with modern exhibits - following a six-year closure.

The Royal College of Surgeons has spent £4.6 million on the makeover for the Hunterian museum, founded in 1793 with 2,000 specimens by surgeon John Hunter.

The new displays include a ten-minute time lapse video of an operation in Wirral and other new audiovisuals and objects.

It also includes a 1948 picture by renowned 20th-century artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth showing the “extraordinary beauty of purpose and coordination” of surgical teams.

The museum building is due to open on 16 May and in the meantime a new website, [www.hunterianmuseum.org/], has been launched.

Dawn Kemp, RCS director of Museums and Special Collections, said: “This May marks the 210th anniversary of the Hunterian Museum opening at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. It is tremendously exciting to be able to welcome the public back after a six-year closure.