Lancaster Health & Medical Museum Collection

31/01/2026

Our Object of the Month for February is the poster showing a set of rules about blood transfusion practices for resident medical and nursing staff for hospitals in Lancaster and Kendal from 1954. Blood was a precious commodity for a range of clinical services and treatments, particularly new and invasive forms of surgery in the postwar decades, and the rules outline due process around its use https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=765

29/01/2026

Lancaster has one of the oldest Medical Book Clubs in the UK at just over 200 years old, and this article published in the Lancaster Guardian November 21st 1903, not only celebrates their 80th anniversary, but gives a fascinating and remarkable social history of those early years. We have transcribed it for ease of reading https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?p=1147

26/01/2026

We need your help? Can anyone provide more information about this photo which was donated to us by the late Joan Heywood (1917-1987) of her time with the NHS in Lancaster. We are trying to find out where in Lancaster this might be and whether it was taken during the first or second World War. Any help will be gratefully appreciated.

01/01/2026

A New Year and a New Object of the Month - Cupping set with 10-blade scarificator by Francis Cluley circa 1830. Cupping sets such as this were used for two different purposes in the nineteenth century: for bloodletting or for introducing a substance into the skin e.g. smallpox vaccine. https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=763

07/12/2025

Lancaster Health & Medical Museum Collection have just completed our first year of publishing objects monthly from our collection of over 3,000 items dating back 2,000 years. We have created an 'Advent Calendar' for you to browse through and you can 'click' and open any window you might be interested in or may have missed - just follow the link https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?p=1099

06/12/2025

For this month's object of the month Lancaster Health & Medical Museum Collection need your help. The object appears to be an early ‘Laennac-style solid wooden stethoscope’ - one of the very earliest stethoscopes. The design that most closely resembles Dr. Carne’s mystery object is the ‘Ferguson wooden stethoscope’, however, all designs of wooden stethoscope had a central canal for the transmission of sound and this mystery object doesn’t: it is solid. Can you help? https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=740

31/10/2025

November Object of the Month is the King's Own Lancaster Regt. Bed Plaque 1919. The KORL Regt. Prisoners of War Fund was established in November 1916 sending 70,000 food and clothing parcels to prisoners in Germany and Bulgaria by 1918. Read the full article - https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=738

09/10/2025

If you attended our first Heritage Day Exhibition at The Storey on 17th and 18th of September you will have been intrigued by 'Mr Rhodes's Mystery Object'. The answer to his question is now revealed as our October Object of The Month and which you can read by following this link https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=736

17/09/2025

We are looking forward to seeing you today - everyone is welcome

17/09/2025

Treasurers and Talks - We are excited that today and tomorrow we have our first public showing of some of the items in our collection of over 3000 items, as well as some really interesting talks by some of our experts. It's FREE so come and join us at The Storey, Lancaster - full times and details on our web page https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=935

31/08/2025

Our September 'Object of the Month' is The Schimmelbusch Mask early 1900s. This type of mask provides a very simple way to give an anaesthetic to a patient. The frame can be folded down, so easily caried in a pocket along with the drop bottle of anaesthetic, usually ether. At that time, much surgery was done in the patient’s home. https://lancasterhealthmedicalmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=734

20/08/2025

Come and visit us - see and hear more about some of the over 3,000 objects in our collection - at The Storey, Lancaster 17th and 18th September

Dates for your diary! 12-21 September 2025

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, and over ten days in September, venues across the district will throw open their doors for FREE, inviting you to come and discover hidden places, peek behind the scenes and try out new experiences.

This year, there are 38 events taking place across Lancaster and Morecambe Bay!
Why not download the 2025 programme and plan your festival now?https://lancasterandmorecambebay.com/assets/images/hods-programme-2025-new.pdf

Love Lancaster BID Lancaster City Museums Lancaster Health & Medical Museum Collection Lancaster Priory Friends of the Storey Gardens, Lancaster King Street Arts Lancaster CIC Assembly Arts Morecambe Bay Partnership Morecambe Winter Gardens Lancaster Grand Sizergh Castle NT Stott Park Bobbin Mill Dalton Castle Friends Gleaston Water Mill The Roxy Cinema Ulverston Lancaster Castle Friends of the Judges' Lodgings, Lancaster visit Lancashire