Florence Nightingale Museum reopens on 12 May 2010
Following a £1.4million redevelopment, the Florence Nightingale Museum reopens on Wednesday 12 May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale and International Nurses Day. Located on London’s South Bank, the transformed Museum marks the centenary of Florence’s death, telling the real story of the woman behind the legend as well as how modern nursing began.
Situated in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital on the site where she established the Nightingale Training School, of which the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery at King’s is descended, the Museum tells her story via three rooms, focusing on her Victorian childhood, the Crimean War and her later years as an ardent campaigner for health reform. The Museum also celebrates the profession of nursing and explores Florence’s legacy to today’s nursing practice. The redevelopment project has been funded by a number of funders including The Wellcome Trust, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, and Garfield Weston Foundation.
The Museum features an unparalleled collection of Nightingale memorabilia, with highlights including the writing slate Florence used as a child; the medicine chest and lamps she took to the Crimean war; and a rare Register of Nurses which lists the women who served under her in the military hospitals in Turkey and the Crimean.
The collection features interactive and touchscreen exhibits, films, a creative programme of free arts activities for children, and regular contemporary art exhibitions which will see artists respond to different aspects of Florence’s life and legacy. Visitors can even use a pair of stethoscopes to hear the audio tour.
The centenary is also being marked by a memorial service at Westminster Abbey on 12 May which will feature an address by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, music composed John Browne, composer in residence for the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, and staff and students from the School will also participate in the service.
Florence Nightingale Museum – visitor information
Please visit the Florence Nightingale Museum website: www.florence-nightingale.co.uk