COLLECTION

Face of the Anatomic Anne manikin by Laerdal
Anatomic Anne, cardiac pulmonary resuscitation training manikin

Norway, 1965

Anatomic Anne, a manikin for the mouth-to-mouth respiration and chest compressions training, a sister-product of the globally known Resusci Anne CPR training torso invented in the 1960s by Åsmund Lærdal, Norwegian entrepreneur.

Stander Female Pelvis Phantom, USA, New York, ca 1920. Pelvic inlet
Stander Female Pelvis Phantom

USA, 20 C. 1 half

Stander Female Pelvis Phantom, a Manikin for Teaching and Practice of Obstetrics (Educational Aid). Made by Clay Adams Co. New York, 1920

Dental Training Phantom R362 / COLUMBIA DENTOFORM CORP. NEW YORK. Photo: Maxim Gorshkov
Dental Phantom by Columbia Dentoform

USA, 20 C. 1 half

A rare American dental training phantom head with an articulated mandible made of aluminium and plastic by Columbia Dentoform Corp., first half of the XX cent. On the lower side of the plastic mandibula written: 'R362 / COLUMBIA DENTOFORM CORP. / NEW YORK.' The scull part of the head is made of silver-colored metal alloy, and the teeth and jaws of black and white plastic. The phantom is mounted on the bronze pole and is housed in a glass dome.

Wax anatomical models' collection in the Josephinum

Austria, 18 C.

The Josephinum is the owner of one of the world's largest collections of anatomical wax models from the 18th century, commissioned by the Austrian Emperor Joseph II. The order of 1,192 pieces was made between 1781 and 1784 and fulfilled in Florence under the supervision of the physicist, anatomist and naturalist Felice Fontana, physician and anatomist Paolo Mascagni, and modeller Clemente Susini. Today, the unique collection is on display at the Josephinum and includes full-length models as well as individual body parts, organs and systems. The exhibits are stored in original vitrines of rosewood and Venetian glass.

LIBRARY

The Training of the Surgeon : the annual address in medicine delivered at Yale University, June 27, 1904 / by William Stewart Halsted. The first edition.
The Training of the Surgeon, Yale Address 1904

USA, 1904

Halsted, William Steward

The training of the surgeon : the annual address in medicine delivered at Yale University, June 27, 1904 / by William Stewart Halsted. The first edition. This lecture emphasized that surgical skill must be built through rigorous, systematic training rather than quick apprenticeship. He argued for long, carefully supervised residency programs, where surgeons-in-training would gradually assume responsibility while mastering both technical skill and scientific inquiry. This lecture laid the foundation for the modern surgical residency system in the United States.

St Thomas's Hospital — Postcard sent on July 23, 1914: the day of the ultimatum to Serbia

England, 20 C. 1 half

Nightingale, Florence

Black-and-white photographic postcard showing the historic riverside buildings of St. Thomas’s Hospital in London, viewed across the River Thames from the Westminster side, c. 1910–1914; postally used 23 July 1914. Publisher: W. Straker Ltd., London. The British postal cancellation on the front is dated 23 JUL 14. The card was addressed to Bessines in the French département of Haute-Vienne and bears a French receiving postmark apparently dated 24 July 1914. The object is particularly interesting because the postal date places an ordinary tourist postcard within an extraordinary historical moment. 23 July 1914 was the day on which Austria-Hungary delivered its ultimatum to Serbia, one of the decisive events of the July Crisis that led to the First World War. 

 

Postcard, depicting the Henry VIII Gatehouse of St Bartholomew's Hospital, was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons as part of their "Aquarette" series (No. 0257) and features artwork by Charles E. Flower. Posted on 9 December 1905. Source: EuroMedSim Museum
St Barts Henry VIII Gatehouse Color Postcard

England, 20 C. 1 half

This postcard, depicting the Henry VIII Gatehouse of St Bartholomew's Hospital, was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons as part of their "Aquarette" series (No. 0257) and features artwork by Charles E. Flower. Posted on 9 December 1905, the postmark firmly establishes its use and a terminus ante quem. The publisher's imprint, "Art Publishers to Their Majesties the King & Queen," places the publication after Queen Victoria's death in January 1901, with a likely date of circa 1903–1905. The gateway itself, rebuilt in 1702 by mason John Strong, stands as a historic entrance to Britain's oldest hospital site, founded in 1123. The card captures both an Edwardian street scene and an everyday moment of correspondence from that era.

Hospiz der Diakonissen-Anstalt, Kaiserswerth a. Rh., 1913
Kaiserswerth, Hospiz der Diakonissen-Anstalt

Germany, 20 C. 1 half

Fliedner, Theodor , Nightingale, Florence

Postcard titled “Hospiz der Diakonissen-Anstalt, Kaiserswerth a. Rh.” with a handwritten private message on the back, bearing a green “German Empire” 5 Pf., postally used stamp, cancelled on August 9, 1913. Cardboard, letterpress printing, handwritten text in ink.

Westminster Bridge and St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, photographic postcard, 1930s.  Bridge House Real Photo Series (1930s–1940) by publisher W. H. Smith
Westminster Bridge and St. Thomas’ Hospital in London

England, 20 C. 1 half

Nightingale, Florence

Westminster Bridge and St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, Scenic photographic postcard, presumably from the 1930s, not mailed. Original title: Westminster Bridge showing St. Thomas’ Hospital, London. Series: Bridge House Real Photo Series (1930s–1940) by publisher W. H. Smith & Son, London.

Weisenhaus, Mutterhaus and Krankenhaus of the Diaconate in Kaiserswerth a. Rh. (Diakonissie). Germany, 1917
Kaiserswerth a. Rh. Weisenhaus, Mutterhaus, Krankenhaus

Germany, 20 C. 1 half

Fliedner, Theodor , Nightingale, Florence

Postcard titled “Kaiserswerth a. Rh. Weisenhaus, Mutterhaus, Krankenhaus". The postcard cancelled 23 August 1917. 

Kaiserswerth a. Rh. Hauptkrankenhaus, Diakonissenkirche, Tabeahaus, postcard cancelled 1916
Kaiserswerth a. Rh. Hauptkrankenhaus, Diakonissenkirche, Tabeahaus

Germany, 20 C. 1 half

Fliedner, Theodor , Nightingale, Florence

Postcard titled “Kaiserswerth a. Rh. Hauptkrankenhaus, Diakonissenkirche, Tabeahaus." The postcard cancelled 26.12.1916 

Kaiserswerth a. Rh. Diakonissen Mutterhaus

Germany, 20 C. 1 half

Fliedner, Theodor , Nightingale, Florence

Postcard titled “Diakonissen Mutterhaus” with a handwritten private message on the front side, right from the photo, bearing on the back a green “German Empire” 5 Pf., postally used stamp, cancelled on August 23, 1901. Cardboard, letterpress printing, handwritten text in black ink. Printed by Wilh. Kammann, Autotypie-Anstalt, Düsseldorf. Publisher: Verlag von Lorenz Apel.

St. George’s Hospital in London. Postcard sent on April 2, 1908
St. George’s Hospital in London

England, 20 C. 1 half

Postcard with depicted St. George’s Hospital in London, sent on April 2, 1908. St. George’s Hospital was founded in 1733 at Lanesborough House near Hyde Park Corner. From its very first decades of operation, the hospital was involved in training doctors: its surgeons and physicians took on apprentices. The medical school was officially established at 1834 and since 1868, it was housed directly within the hospital complex.

Mutterhaus der Diakonissen, Kaiserswerth am Rhein (NRW). One of the World's first School of Nurses
Kaiserswerth am Rhein Diakonissenmutterhaus

Germany, 20 C. 1 half

Fliedner, Theodor , Nightingale, Florence

Postcard titled “Kaiserswerth a. Rh. Diakonissenmutterhaus,” with a message on the back, bearing a “German Empire” postally used stamp, cancelled on November 25, 1918. 

St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The Quadrangle. Publisher: Gordon Smith, 15 Stroud Green Road, N., London, c. 1908
Quadrangle, St Bartholomew's Hospital in London

England, 20 C. 1 half

Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting the Quadrangle — the courtyard with the fountain in the centre — of St Bartholomew’s Hospital (also known as St Barts) in West Smithfield, London. Published by Gordon Smith, 15 Stroud Green Road, London N., and printed in Germany. Postcard No. 251. Presumably c. 1905–1910, probably around 1908.

Aerial view of Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge and St Thomas Hospital, postcard c. 1919–1920. View recto
St Thomas Hospital, Parliament and Westminster Bridge aerial view

England, 20 C. 1 half

Nightingale, Florence

This 1919–1920 aerial photographic postcard shows the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge, and St. Thomas' Hospital from an "Airco 9" aircraft. It uniquely captures the Victorian pavilion-plan hospital opposite Parliament, documenting early commercial aviation and aerial photography post-WWI. The unused card, published by Aircraft Transport and Travel Ltd., offers a clear bird's-eye view of this monumental London landscape, highlighting the hospital's architecture and its prominent riverside position.

Postcard "Main Entrance to the Salpêtrière Hospice and Hospital in Paris". Dated: 1903–1909, mailed: September 28, 1909. Destination: Vitto, Côte-d’Or department, France.
Salpêtrière Hospice and Hospital in Paris, Main Entrance

France, 20 C. 1 half

Main Entrance to the Salpêtrière Hospice and Hospital in Paris (todays The Mazarin entrance to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital). Postcard dated: 1903–1909. Date of mailing: September 28, 1909. Destination: Vitto, Côte-d’Or department, France. Material and technique: cardboard; monochrome photomechanical print; letterpress printing; handwritten text in ink. Language: French. Recipient: "Mr. Vachar, road worker". Postage stamp: France, 10 centimes, Semeuse lignée type — “Sower on a Lined Background”. 

Westminster Hospital in London

England, 20 C. 1 half

A postcard showing the old Westminster Hospital in Broad Sanctuary, directly opposite Westminster Abbey. The hospital had occupied this site since 1834. The imposing castellated Gothic building seen here was substantially rebuilt in 1895, giving the institution an architectural presence more reminiscent of a medieval civic palace than a modern hospital. Westminster Hospital remained at Broad Sanctuary until 1938, when it moved to new premises near Horseferry Road. The old building was later damaged by fire in 1950 and subsequently disappeared during redevelopment of the area. Today, the hospital’s former site corresponds approximately to the open space immediately in front of the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, on the north side of Broad Sanctuary, facing Westminster Abbey.

PEOPLE

Asmund Laerdal with a Resusci Anne manikin
Lærdal, Åsmund

Åsmund S. Lærdal (Asmund S. Laerdal), a Norwegian entrepreneur and humanitarian, made significant contributions to emergency medical care by creating Resusci Anne, the first realistic CPR training manikin, in 1960. Laerdal's work revolutionized resuscitation training and later entire medical education. He founded Laerdal Medical, a company that continues to innovate in medical simulation, helping millions worldwide learn life-saving skills and reducing fatalities from emergencies.

 
Giovanni Alessandro Brambilla, barone di Carpiano
Brambilla, Giovanni Alessandro

Giovanni Alessandro Brambilla, Baron di Carpiano(San Zenone al Po, April 15, 1728 – Padua, July 30, 1800, was a great Italian and Austrian surgeon, Court Surgeon of the Emperor Joseph II, founder and the first director of the Military Medicine-Surgical Academy Josephinum, Vienna, Austria

FIRM

Logo of Laerdal - Good Samaritan
Laerdal Medical AS, Stavanger

Norway, Stavanger

Laerdal is the company that made medical education different. Instead of 'see one, do one, teach one' future medical doctors today 'learn, practice, improve, repeat' – and all this without harming the real patients! It is here, in this company the world-wide used CPR mannequin Resusci Anne was born.

Logo of the company Gebrüder Martin, ca. 1950
KLS Martin (Gebrüder Martin), Tuttlingen

Germany, Tuttlingen

KLS Martin (founded in 1923) is a renowned German manufacturer of high-precision surgical instruments and implants, surgical lights, high-frequency coagulators, and lasers.

Columbia Dentoform Training Teeth
Columbia Dental and X-Ray—Dentoform, New York

USA, New York

Columbia Dentoform, established in 1917 by Ben Spitzer, a Columbia University Engineering School graduate, began as the Columbia Dental and X-Ray Company in Manhattan, New York. Initially, the company provided x-ray equipment for dental offices and sold articulators and attachments to dental laboratories. Ben Spritzer In 1917, it introduced metal typodonts—his first phantoms for dental teaching and practice. Today, as part of the DentalEZ family of brands, Columbia Dentoform continues to develop and provide high-quality simulation products, maintaining its commitment to improving the instructional process and learning experience for dental students globally.

The Karl Storz Visitor Center in Tuttlingen. Source: www.protut.de
Karl Storz Endoscope, Tuttlingen

Germany, Tuttlingen

German company Karl Storz, "King of Endoscopy", is nowadays a world-leading manufacturer of minimally invasive surgical instruments and integrated operation room solutions

MUSEUM

Wax male anatomical model. Josephinum, Medical History Museum Vienna. Photo: Maxim Gorshkov
Josephinum Medical History Museum in Vienna

Austria, Vienna

The Josephinum in Vienna is a renowned medical history museum situated in the historical building of the Medical-Surgical Joseph's Academy established in 1785 under Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor. Today, the museum houses the collections of the Medical University of Vienna, celebrated for its one of the world's largest anatomical wax models collection, which were crafted between 1784 and 1786 by Florence masters including renowned Clemente Susini. These models provide detailed insights into human anatomy and have been pivotal in medical education. After comprehensive renovations, the Josephinum reopened its doors in September 2022, offering visitors a blend of historical artifacts and modern exhibitions that chronicle over 650 years of medical history.

Mutterhaus in Kaiserswerth Diakonie. Postcard, 1910s. Source: EuroMedSim Museum
Kaiserswerther Diakonie Pflegemuseum (Museum of Nursing)

Germany, Kaiserswerth

Kaiserswerther Diakonie is an Evangelical community of deaconesses founded in 1836 by Pastor Theodor Fliedner. Here women received training in caregiving and child-rearing and lived a life of discipline and prayer. The institution included a hospital, a school, and a shelter. In 1851, Florence Nightingale, who later established the modern system of nursing in Great Britain, completed an internship here. The Kaiserswerth model spread throughout Europe, America and Russia. Today, the Diakonie remains an active institution, and its building houses a Pflegemuseum (Museum of Nursing) and a hotel in the Mutterhaus.

St Thomas's Hospital in London

England, London

St Thomas’ Hospital, founded c. 1100 in Southwark, was relocated in 1862 due to railway expansion. Its current  building (1872) at the Thames-side site opposite of the Westminster Palace, designed by Henry Currey was laid by Queen Victoria. In 1860, Nightingale founded Britain’s first nursing school at St. Thomas’s, which today is part of King’s College London. The hospital’s Central Hall houses a free mini-museum dedicated to the hospital’s history, and the new wing is home to the Florence Nightingale Museum.

Articles

Wax anatomy model of the Head with superficial vessels and nerves
Anatomy wax model 'made in Italy'

Wax anatomical models designed to train physicians and educate the public were once innovative educational teaching aids. Some world-class museums including La Specola in Pisa, Josephinum in Vienna, Palazzo Poggi in Bologna, Science Museum in London, Semmelweis Museum in Budapest, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris are proud of their collections. This amazing craft, combining art and science, anatomy and chemistry, practical skill and theoretical knowledge, which stood at the forefront of innovation in the 17th and 18th centuries, originated and flourished in Northern Italy

A prototype and its successor
L'inconnue de la Seine – a Prototype for Resusci Anne

The famous mask of L'inconnue de la Seine or La Belle Italienne served as prototype for the face of the world's first and main cardiopulmonary resuscitation manikin, Resusci Anne. The mask's history is worthy of further investigation, as it has been previously researched and is still a topic of ongoing study.