STHC-L: The Science, Technology and Health Care Archives Forum

Re: Medical laboratory, c. 1918

• Date: Wed, 3 Sep 1997 16:43:08 -0400 (EDT)
• To: sthc-l@library.ucla.edu
• From: Russell A. Johnson <rjohnson@library.ucla.edu>
• Subject: Re: Medical laboratory, c. 1918
• Message-ID: SIMEON.9709031608.B@host-8061641a.library.ucla.edu

Message forwarded to STHC-L:


Date: 31 Aug 97 17:32:00 EDT
Subject: Medical laboratory, c. 1918
Reply-To: M.Clark@wellcome.ac.uk

Dear Alla Savranskaia,

   Julia Sheppard has forwarded to me your enquiry about possible locations 
for shooting scenes of medical laboratory investigations c.1918.  
Unfortunately, I do not think I can help you very much.  
We do know of some film and TV footage sources for scenes of medical 
laboratory investigations from around this time (e.g. in the 1972 
BBC-Horizon drama-documentary Hospital 1922, and in the 1986/7 Canadian 
production Glory Enough for All, on the events leading up to the discovery 
of insulin), but these are all dramatic historical reconstructions created 
for the purpose of the films, and thus probably very expensive to re-clear, 
even if otherwise usable. 

We do not know of any likely shooting locations on the West Coast of the 
U.S., but we suggest you try the U.S. National Museum of Health and Medicine 
at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD - quite possibly they may 
have all the necessary 'props' or be able to suggest another suitable 
location.  If all else fails, try contacting Dr. Ghislaine Lawrence at the 
Wellcome Galleries of the History of Medicine at the Science Museum in 
London (Tel. 44-(0)171-938- 8062) - they do have near life-size recreated 
medical interiors from the early C20 with genuine period surgical 
instruments, laboratory equipment, etc., and may be willing to help if your 
budget will stretch this far.

I hope this information will be of some help-
Michael Clark
Medical Film and Video Library
The Wellcome Trust
183 Euston Road                    Tel.  44-(0)171-611-8596/7;
LONDON NW1 2BE            Fax; 44-(0)171-611-8765.