Answering the Call – Commonwealth Nurses in the NHS
Glenside Hospital Museum was founded by Dr Donal Early, a consultant psychiatrist at Glenside Hospital.
The museum originated from humble beginnings, starting out as a collection of intriguing objects and documents gathered on the balcony in the hospital dining room.
The collection as you know it today is constantly developing and evolving, but since 1984 has been housed in the hospital chapel. In 2024 we are proud to celebrate this being the 40th anniversary of being, and hope to preserve our museum for many years to come. It's been 20 years since Dr Early's death in 2004 and we trust that he would be proud to see us continuing to build upon his legacy.
We are a museum that explores the history of mental health care in Bristol via our vast array of collections and artefacts. We aim to intrigue, fascinate and educate, all while reducing the stigma of living with, and talking about, mental illness.
Our museum comprises three main collections: Glenside Hospital (formerly known as Bristol Lunatic Asylum), Stoke Park Hospital, and Beaufort War Hospital.
Our regular art exhibitions cover current topics and are typically inspired by artists who have been invited to explore our collections and offer a deeper understanding of various themes via their own creative mediums.
If you've already visited the museum, please do consider returning in 2024 to commemorate this historic occasion with us. We are currently hosting one of our most extensive exhibitions to date, funded by Historic England. 'Answering the call' celebrates the contributions of healthcare workers who responded to government calls for staff in Commonwealth countries to come and start a new life in the UK working in the brand new National Health Service, founded in 1948.
Visit Us
If you haven't yet visited, what are you waiting for? There's something for everyone, young and old, whether you're in a in healthcare profession, creatively minded and looking to enjoy the art, or just curious about the origins and history of mental healthcare and these historic local institutions.
Here are 10 great facts about Glenside Hospital Museum to help get you through our doors
10.
One of the most controversial treatments that was used at Glenside Hospital Museum was the malariotherapy, which involved deliberately infecting patients with malaria to cure other diseases, such as syphilis or dementia paralytica. You can learn more about this fascinating treatment at the museum.
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