Conservator working on large book
Conserving the biggest book in the collection was a challenge but our conservator Rebecca, managed it! #TheBirdsofAmerica #Audubon #ArchiveConservation #Archive30
colourful map
This lovely colour-coded map shows the Surgeon's districts of Glasgow, c.1831. The surgeon assigned to each district was responsible for visiting the poor for free.
#ColourfulArchives #Archive30
Woodcut illustration showing 5 unicorns. Some are very hairy!
It's #NationalUnicornDay! 🦄
To celebrate here are some fabulous #unicorns from Pierre Pomet's Histoire generale des drogues (c.1694). Unicorn horn was believed to have miraculous medicinal properties that could cure all manner of ills.
An open book showing a woodcut illustration of an angry looking beaver.
Today's #Archive30 is all about #ArchiveAnimals. It also happens to be #InternationalBeaverDay! 🦫
Perfect occasion to share this angry little beaver with you who we found wandering through the pages of Conrad Gesner's Historia Animalium (c.1602).
Saw the wonderful 'Everybody to Kenmure Street' at the Glasgow Film Theatre tonight. A beautiful and powerful film about the power of the human spirit and community in the face of state power. We clapped and we cried. share.google/eT3DxtDVo6Rp...
Woodcut illustration of a rabbit facing to the left. From Conrad Gesner's Historia Animalium
We'll be closed on Friday 3rd April for the Easter break and back in again at 9am on Tuesday 7th April. Don't forget you can still "visit" our collections on our website at any time heritage.rcpsg.ac.uk
We wish you all a lovely weekend.
Brilliant April Fool's where the US launches a war which hands its enemy control over a key maritime chokepoint resulting in higher prices everywhere, including in the US itself which had decided to abandon renewables. And then they said they'd won!
How we laughed...
Opportunity | Join our Anti-racism and Decolonisation Steering Group 👥
The group, supported by the MA, is recruiting two new members. The group meets four times a year to consider and advocate for how to take anti-racism and decolonisation forward in the UK museum sector.
Apply by 22 April 👇
Page from a book showing two woodcut illustrations. The first shows a boat with mast and sails and a giant sea monster popping up out of the water. The second illustration shows the sea monster attacking the boat
You're going to need a bigger boat!
from Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus (c.1558) by Olaus Magnus.
Our Macewen exhibition will be on until July 2026 so there's still plenty of time to come along and learn about this remarkable, surgical pioneer.
Join Scotland & Medicine for a very special showcase highlighting the amazing medical collections of Scottish museums, libraries and archives.
📆Tuesday, 10th March, 2026
🕙3pm GMT
📍Online
🎫Free
Book your place: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scotland-m...
It's wonderful to see such a portrait
An open wooden box lined with green velvet. The box contains a trephine set made from metal. Some instruments have black wooden handles. There is also a small brush with ivory handle.
One of the oldest surgical instruments in our museum collection is this amazing trephine set dating from c.1740. It was made by Edward Stanton of London and contains 4 trephines, forceps, raspatory, lenticular, elevator and a tiny brush
Hazy winter sun and a very calm Loch Lomond
Hazy winter sun and a very calm Loch Lomond
Historic embroidered gloves
It's #FestiveClothes for today's #ArchiveAdventCalendar with @arascot.bsky.social. These beautifully embroidered gloves (c.1600) belonged to our College founder & surgeon, Peter Lowe. We probably wouldn't recommend wearing them to make snowballs though 😆❄️
heritage.rcpsg.ac.uk/items/show/37
James Bridie was a busy man, a doctor, playwright, artist and one of the founders of Glasgow's iconic Citizen's Theatre!
This is….and imagine all the other ways this manifests… and across different contexts
Poster for the event "Remembering Rabbie: exploring the poetry and song of the Bard for better brain health"
Details of the event which runs on the 7th October at the College
Are you living with dementia or know someone who is? We're co-hosting a workshop focusing on Robert Burns where there will be the opportunity to share your memories of the Bard. To book or for more information please contact library@rcpsg.ac.uk
📆7th October 2025
🕙10am
🎫Free but booking essential
External view of our College - a Georgian style building set over three floors
Join us on an journey through the College as we celebrate Black History Month. Hear stories of groundbreaking doctors, scientists and scholars and learn about our ongoing research into our history and connections to empire and colonialism
📆 1, 20, 27 October 2025
🎫 heritage.rcpsg.ac.uk/events
Speaker at a conference standing in front of a seated audience
Overhead shot of kids looking at an old herbal book
Three hands which have been painted to show the bones underneath the skin
Sign up to our Eventbrite page to keep up to date with our events
www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/rcpsg-heri...
Upcoming:
20th September, Doors Open Day
1st, 20th, 27th October, Black History Month tours
30th October, Daemonologie: A King's obsession with Witches
More info: heritage.rcpsg.ac.uk/events
Not going to pretend today wasn't depressing but the far right has been stronger in the UK before. Mosley packed out Earls Court and was backed by several large newspapers. Enoch Powell had the support of 74% of the population.
Musk has a net popularity rating of -52%
External view of the College building on St Vincent Street - A 3 storey Georgian style building with large black doors.
College Hall showing the ornate ceiling
A Lister carbolic spray
We're taking part in Glasgow Doors Open Day!
Come and explore our beautiful building on St Vincent Street and learn about the history of medicine and surgery in Glasgow.
We're open 10am-4pm, Saturday 20th September. We'd love to see you 😀
www.doorsopendays.org.uk/regions/glas...
A mindful session for our friends from Flourish House, exploring the College and learning about Audubon's Birds of America. Led by illustrator and author, Helen Kellock. With thanks to @museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk for the funding.
Presentation by Dr Theeba Krishnamoorthy
Monique Lerpiniere at RCPSG presenting
Presentation from RCPE on stories of medicine and migration
Presentation from RCP London
Super event this evening with @rcpmuseum.bsky.social, @physiciansgallery.bsky.social and our own College here in Glasgow hearing all the amazing stories of medicine and migration from South Asia. Our three Colleges are working towards uncovering more of these histories.
#SouthAsianHeritageMonth
Handwritten notes detailing the virtues of sea water for health
Thinking of taking a dip in the sea to cool down? You'll be delighted to hear that sea water is also good for restoring strength, rheumatic pains, and healing wounds. This 18th century #herbal notebook also recommends that you drink the water - please don't do that!😟
Woodcut illustration of a snake with Latin text beneath
Happy #WorldSnakeDay 🐍
To celebrate here's a very lovely woodcut illustration from De Indiae utriusque re naturali et medica (1658) by Willem Piso, showing a super little snake slithering along the page.
The Waverley at Rothesay harbour.
The Boy from Bute postcard
The Holiday Isle display in Bute Museum
Sign and painting of William Macewen in Bute Museum
A bustling Waverley was a fantastic sight at Rothesay harbour yesterday
Boat to Isle of Bute with foamy sea, sky and hills in background
Bute Museum front facade
3 people holding leaflets depicting Sir William Macewen in Bute Museum
Screen showing opening scene of The Boy from Bute documentary
A special day yesterday presenting our documentary 'The Boy from Bute' at Bute Museum. We were made very welcome by the museum team.
And we saw the Waverley! (see next post...)
A handwritten page from a notebook showing herbs for cooling the blood. These include sorrel and endives
Feeling the heat? 🥵
Try these herbal remedies for cooling the blood from our 18th century herbal notebook.
