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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum
@rcpmuseum.bsky.social
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The Royal College of Physicians museum, heritage library, archive & garden in Regent's Park | History, medicine, art & modernist architecture | Exhibitions & events
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 8d
Join us for #half-term fun!
⭐27 Oct 'Tales from the doctors library' with storyteller Vanessa Woolf @londondreamtime.bsky.social
⭐28/29/30 Oct 'Patterns, pages & prints' creative family crafts.
⭐31 Oct 'Perilous patterns & ghoulish prints' - #Halloween family crafts!

history.rcp.ac.uk/events
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 7h
A printed image of the tobacco plant was so new to the European market that you can tell the wood cut print has actually been stuck in after the rest of the book had been printed!
Discover more with a visit to 'A body of knowledge' 👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/...

#BodyOfKnowledge

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Close up of the woodcut illustration of the tobacco plant wit ha visible edge showing where it was cut out and stuck into the book.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 7h
The image features in ‘Stirpium adversaria nova’ (New observations on plants) by Pierre Pena & Matthias de L'Obel. The text describes the plant as ‘Indorum Sana Sancta’, the ‘holy healing herb of the Indies’ & is accompanied by a small image of a stereotyped native American smoking a long pipe.
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A small illustration of the head of a stereotyped native American smoking a long pipe, captioned ‘Nicotiana inserted into the funnel from which the Indians and sailors draw smoke’.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 7h
Catching our eye today is the tobacco plant!
In exhibition 'A body of knowledge' is displayed the earliest European illustration of the plant in a book from 1571.
The plant is currently waving its leaves in our @rcphysicians.bsky.social medicinal garden today.

#BodyOfKnowledge #histmed

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A plant with large pointed oval green leaves coming off a single stem with a bunch of green buds at the top. Open pages of the book 'Stirpium adversaria nova’ (New observations on plants) by Pierre Pena and Matthias de L'Obel, 1571 showing Latin text and a woodcut illustration of the tobacco plant.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 4d
To celebrate the launch of exhibition 'A Body of Knowledge', lead curator & rare books librarian Katie Birkwood shares her thoughts reflecting upon a career in libraries, the RCP library specifically & the exhibition:

👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/librari...

@rcphysicians.bsky.social #BodyOfKnowledge
Katie Birkwood delivering a speech in the Dorchester Library. An open book showing illustrations of roosters in a display case. The smallest book in the RCP library open showing an illustration of a skeleton. Katie Birkwood standing next to the famous displayed anatomical text by Andreas Vesalius in the exhibition.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 8d
All our events have been inspired by RCP exhibition ‘A body of knowledge’. As part of your visit pick up a children's worksheet to explore 500 years of book collecting at the @rcphysicians.bsky.social!

#BodyOfKnowledge
Exhibition graphic showing tall snippets from a range of books and the exhibition title and dates: 'A body of knowledge' 10 September 2025 - 23 July 2026
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 8d
Join us for #half-term fun!
⭐27 Oct 'Tales from the doctors library' with storyteller Vanessa Woolf @londondreamtime.bsky.social
⭐28/29/30 Oct 'Patterns, pages & prints' creative family crafts.
⭐31 Oct 'Perilous patterns & ghoulish prints' - #Halloween family crafts!

history.rcp.ac.uk/events
2 2 5
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 12d
Today we are sharing the story of James Samuel Risien Russell (1863 – 1939) - a renowned neurologist, acclaimed professor, & one of the first Black British consultants.

Read our blog for more on his life & career
👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/james-s...

#BlackHistoryMonth @rcphysicians.bsky.social
Black and white photo portrait of James Risien Russell with short dark hair and a moustache. Image courtesy of the Queen Square Archives ©National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 12d
Its #BlackHistoryMonth & every Thursday we will be sharing a blog about one of the many Black physicians who contributed to the development of medicine in the UK & around the world.

#BHM2025
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 13d
Find many more stunning books in our exhibition ‘A body of knowledge’.
history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/...

Visit in person Mon- Fri 9am to 5pm or join us after hours at our Museum Lates - the first late opening is this Thursday 2 October 5.30pm - 8pm.
history.rcp.ac.uk/events

#BodyOfKnowledge
An exhibition graphic whing marbled paper and sections of books overlaid with the text: 'A body of knowledge Discover 500 years of book collecting at the Royal College of Physicians 10 September 2025 - 23 July 2026 Exhibition | Free entry'
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 13d
This book is also important as a very good example of printing in more than one colour. Here, at the start of the third section, text has been printed in both red and black, as well as decoration and the running title being added by hand.
A page showing different coloured printed fonts and decorations added by hand from 'Recuyell of the historyes of Troye', translated and printed by William Caxton, published in Bruges, 1473.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 13d
The font used by Caxton closely resembled the script used for handwriting English literary manuscripts at the time. The letters aren’t always easy to recognise today. Here Caxton explains the labour involved in translating.

'my penne is worn, myn hande wery & not stedfast, myn eyen dimmed . . .'
A printed page showing this excerpt: 'Thus end I this book whyche I have translated after myn Auctor as nyghe as god hath given me connyng to whom be given the laude & preysyng, And for as moche as in the wrytyng of the same my penne is worn, myn hande wery & not stedfast, myn eyen dimmed with overmoche lokyng on the whit paper, and my corage not so prone and redy to laboure as it hath ben […]' In' Recuyell of the historyes of Troye', translated and printed by William Caxton, published in Bruges, 1473.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 13d
The original author was French author Raoul Lefèvre, who treated the story of the fight between the Greeks and the Trojans in the style of a courtly romance.
A close up of the pages showing details from the prologue: 'Ere foloweth the prologue of that worshipful man Raoul le Fevre whiche was Auctor of this present book in the Ffrensh tonge.' In 'Recuyell of the historyes of Troye', translated and printed by William Caxton, published in Bruges, 1473.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 13d
This book was the first ever printed in the English language & it was a translation. Printing pioneer William Caxton translated a French account of the ancient Greek story of the Trojan Wars, & published it in 1473 or 1474.
A printed page showing the start of second book within 'Recuyell of the historyes of Troye', translated and printed by William Caxton, published in Bruges, 1473.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 13d
It was #InternationalTranslationDay yesterday, slightly late but we couldn't resist showing off one of the most significant books in the @rcphysicians.bsky.social Heritage Library to celebrate!

'Recuyell of the historyes of Troye', translated & printed by William Caxton, published in Bruges, 1473.
Open pages of the 'Recuyell of the historyes of Troye' showing the printed prologue with a large illuminated letter W. The book was translated and printed by William Caxton, published in Bruges, 1473.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 14d
Are you joining our Museum Late this Thurs 2 Oct?
⭐ Discover new exhibition 'A body of knowledge' after hours
⭐ Exhibition tours at 6pm & 7pm
⭐ Explore art installation 'Making visible' in the Dorchester Library

Book free 👉
royal-college-of-physicians.arttickets.org.uk

@rcphysicians.bsky.social
A group of open and closed rare books. A portrait of Grace Pierrepont on a wooden wall with the edges of bookcases filled with books wrapped in strips of blue paper - part of the Making Visible art installation. Visitors looking into the glass cases of the exhibition
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 15d
#WorldHeartDay aims to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and the importance of taking care of your heart.

world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-...
World Heart Day 2025
On September 29, 2025, World Heart Day unites millions worldwide to fight cardiovascular disease. Learn how the World Heart Federation inspires action to prevent, treat, and beat heart disease.
world-heart-federation.org
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 15d
This #WorldHeartDay lets enjoy this artwork by Angela Palmer created for RCP 2018 exhibition 'Ceaseless Motion: William Harvey’s Experiments in Circulation'. Working with the University of Minnesota, Palmer based the piece on MRI scans of a human heart.

👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/when-ar...
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 18d
The RCP archives reveal the role of physicians in treating King George III. This letter from Henry Revell Reynolds (born #OTD 1745) blames John Scott for 2 lords ghosting the King & worsening his mental health.

Discover more about physicians' treatment of George👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/greater...
An 18th century hand-written letter from Henry Revell Reynolds regarding the health of King George III.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 21d
Happy Birthday @RCPhysicians - 507yrs old today!

The charter founding of the RCP was granted by King Henry VIII in 1518. While it has an impressive seal, the document itself appears unfinished.
Archive manager Pamela Forde considers the mystery in her blog 👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/empty-t...
The founding charter of the RCP including the document with text in Latin with the signature of Henry VIII and his seal hanging from the bottom.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 22d
It's the #AutumnalEquinox today at 18.20 GMT! This 16th-century paper machine, called a volvelle, helps explain how the sun moves through the sky from equinox to solstice throughout the year. Find a full explainer video on our exhibition website: history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/... #BodyofKnowledge
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 27d
The artwork 'Making Visible' has been installed as part of the new exhibition 'A body of knowledge'.
Explore the artwork & exhibition after hours on 2 October at our Museum Late.
Book free now 👉 royal-college-of-physicians.arttickets.org.uk

#BodyOfKnowledge @rcphysicians.bsky.social
Exhibition graphic with marbled paper and the words: A body of knowledge Discover 500 years of book collecting at the Royal College of Physicians 10 September 2025 - 23 July 2026 Exhibition | Free entry
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · 27d
‘Making Visible’ is a new artwork by Catherine James to make visible the previously overlooked contributions of women to the RCP library.
Find out more about one of those fascinating women - Lady Grace Pierrepont in a new blog 👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/...
@rcphysicians.bsky.social #HistMed
A portrait of Lady Grace Pierrepont with books wrapped in strips of blue paper on bookshelves on either side as part of the 'Making Visible' artwork.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · Sep 10
Exhibition, ‘A body of knowledge’ is open!
10 Sept 2025 - 23 July 2026.

history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/...

Discover the surprising treasures of the RCP Heritage Library & explore how 500 years of book-collecting have built a wondrous, enduring library.

@rcphysicians.bsky.social #BodyofKnowledge
Exhibition graphic showing tall snippets from a range of books and the exhibition title and dates: 'A body of knowledge' 10 September 2025 - 23 July 2026 An image of a book with multicoloured pages open on display. Image of the exhibition in the Gallery at the RCP with information panels, paintings and glass cases full of books displayed.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · Sep 3
Join us to celebrate East & South East Asian (ESEA) Heritage Month!

Bring your friends tomorrow 4 Sept from 5.30pm for a fun & thoughtful drop-in paper-based craft mixer, inspired by @rcphysicians.bsky.social ESEA archive collections & plants.

Book 👉 royal-college-of-physicians.arttickets.org.uk
A Chinese manuscript showing watercolour illustrations of plants. A display of ESEA plants including Chinese lanterns and Chinese quince.
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum @rcpmuseum.bsky.social · Aug 28
Some #behindthescenes action at the Royal College of Physicians Museum this summer!

We are busy installing the new exhibition, inspecting & of course dusting!

Coming soon: history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/...

#museumlife #histmed #BodyofKnowledge @rcphysicians.bsky.social
A woman crouches down and uses a stick to delicately lift the flaps of a diagram in a book inside a display case. A bright light shines onto a metal cup being held up in blue-gloved hands. A woman in blue gloves uses a brush to dust around items in an open display case.
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