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The Legacy Center Blog

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Equity and DiversityBehind the ScenesHistory of MedicineHomeopathyLearning and TeachingWomen in Medicine
Archivist Alex Miller setting up the American Medical Women’s Association and American Women’s Hospital Service exhibit.(The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

Open for Interpretation: Squeezing more use out of our collections

Interpretation, in the context of museum exhibits, refers to the way a museum staff uses artifacts and materials to relay and create a theme or story with an exhibit. This blog post explains why interpretation is so important and how it can be used by archives and museums alike to help people learn about collections. The blog post also announces several new exhibits at the Drexel University College of Medicine Legacy Center Archives.

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Potrait of Dr. Emeline Horton Cleveland. (The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye

In this blog post, Lisa Grimm, archivist at the Legacy Center, looks back on her time working in the archive, all of the materials that she has worked with, and the hidden stories discovered within the collections, as she moves on from the archives profession.

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Illustration of women working out in the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania gymnasium. (The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

A Bit of Good News

The Drexel University College of Medicine Legacy Center Archives received a grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage intended for the development of an interactive online learning program that incorporates the archive’s collection. The program is designed to reach students in grades 6-12 and is focused on the topic of “serious play”.

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Marie Curie and Martha Tracy in front of Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. (The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

Ada Lovelace Day: A Visit from Marie Curie

On May 23, 1921, the renowned radiologist Marie Curie visited the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and was granted an honorary degree. Mme. Curie was present at the College as a stop on her fundraising tour, led by Marie ‘Missy’ Mattingly Meloney, to help fund Mme. Curie’s research. This blog post, made in honor of Ada Lovelace Day, recounts Mme. Curie’s visit and her warm reception by Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania Dean Martha Tracy.

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Class of 1898, Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania.(The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

Could Catharine Macfarlane’s work have lengthened Ada Lovelace’s life?

Catherine MacFarlane graduated from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1898, and worked as a practitioner and lecturer on obstetrics and gynecology. MacFarlane is best known for founding the Cancer Control Research Project in 1938, where women could be screened for uterine cancer. The findings of the Cancer Control Research Project determined that through the use of regular cancer screenings on healthy women, various forms of cancer could be detected early on and prevented. This blog post, made in honor of Ada Lovelace Day, recognizes Catherine MacFarlane’s accomplishments and poses the question that if Ada Lovelace lived in MacFarlane’s time, could her deadly cancer have been prevented?

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A memento of the Dean's reception, held Oct 10, 1885. Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. (The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

From the Collections: Constant Diversity?

The Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania stood out in the number of foreign students who attended the college. Students such as Dr. Kei Okami, Dr. Sabat Islambooly, and Dr. Anandibai Joshee, all from the class of 1886, were often photographed in their native attire and written about in local newspapers. This blog post highlights the complex legacy of this diversity, focusing specifically on the experiences of several Japanese students who enrolled in Woman’s Medical College during the Second World War. Students such as Dr. Toshiko Toyota and Dr. Ruby Inouye enrolled while their families were in Japanese Internment Camps and faced many setbacks from administration. Overall, the blog post highlights the many sides of Woman’s Medical College diversity.

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Rufus Weaver and the nerve dissection titled "Harriet."(The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

From the Collections: Harriet

Harriet is a complete dissection of the cerebrospinal nervous system, dissected and mounted in 1888 by anatomist Dr. Rufus Weaver of Hahnemann Medical College. This blog post highlights Harriet’s history, from her use as a teaching aid by Dr. Weaver in 1888 to the current exhibit at the Drexel University College of Medicine’s Queen Lane campus.

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Archives staff in the stacks. (The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

And...We're In!

On December 4, 2009, the Drexel University College of Medicine Legacy Center Archives moved from Drexel University’s Hagerty Library to a new space at the Drexel University College of Medicine Queen Lane Campus. This blog post is a quick update from the archives staff after being in the space for a month, and highlights the unexpected challenges and excitements from being in a new space.

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Empty stacks shelving aisles. (The Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections)

Imminent Move

On December 4, 2009, the Drexel University College of Medicine Legacy Center Archives moved from Drexel University’s Hagerty Library to a new space at the Drexel University College of Medicine Queen Lane Campus. This blog post is an announcement of the official moving date, and expresses excitement for a new space.

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