The Center for the History of Medicine, Countway Library, houses one of the world's leading collections in the history of health care and medicine, with strong holdings in virtually every medical discipline, including anatomy, anesthesiology, cardiology, dentistry, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and surgery. The Center offers access to the personal and professional papers of prominent American physicians and is the institutional repository for the records of Harvard Medical School (founded 1782), Harvard School of Dental Medicine (1867), and Harvard School of Public Health (1922).
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| April 07 - April 13 | |||||||
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center for the History of Medicine | Closed | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | Closed |
| April 14 - April 20 | |||||||
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center for the History of Medicine | Closed | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | Closed |
| April 21 - April 27 | |||||||
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center for the History of Medicine | Closed | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | 09:00a - 05:00p | Closed |
- Main:
- (617) 432-2170
- Warren Museum:
- (617) 432-6196
The Center for the History of Medicine is one of the world's leading collections in the history of health care and medicine, attracting researchers from around the world to consult its rare books and journals, archives and manuscripts, photographs and prints, and art and artifact collections. The history of medicine plays a critical role in informing contemporary medicine, at the same time that it informs our understanding of the larger society within which medicine is embedded. More.
Printers (B&W)
Public Computer Terminals
Wi-Fi
The Center for the History of Medicine is one of the world's leading collections in the history of health care and medicine, attracting researchers from around the world to consult its rare books and journals, archives and manuscripts, photographs and prints, and art and artifact collections. The history of medicine plays a critical role in informing contemporary medicine, at the same time that it informs our understanding of the larger society within which medicine is embedded. More.
- Printers (B&W)
- Public Computer Terminals
- Wi-Fi
The Center for the History of Medicine is one of the world's leading collections in the history of health care and medicine, attracting researchers from around the world to consult its rare books and journals, archives and manuscripts, photographs and prints, and art and artifact collections. The history of medicine plays a critical role in informing contemporary medicine, at the same time that it informs our understanding of the larger society within which medicine is embedded. More.
- Printers (B&W)
- Public Computer Terminals
- Wi-Fi
Rare Books and Journals
Virtually all of the great works in the history of medicine can be found in the Countway’s Center for the History of Medicine. The collection is particularly rich in the diverse subject areas of anatomy, gynecology and obstetrics, radiology, medical jurisprudence, neurology, surgery, psychology, phrenology, physicians' travel narratives, medical botany, pharmacy and pharmacology, and internal medicine. There are particular strengths in medical incunabula—with over 800 books printed before 1501—European books printed from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century, and English publications before 1800. The Center also holds a comprehensive collection of American, particularly New England, medical imprints of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. (Illustration: Urinoscopy from Ortus sanitatis (Mainz : Jacob Meydenbach, 23 June 1491). Bequest of Dr. William Norton Bullard, 1931. Courtesy of the Boston Medical Library in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine.)
Archives and Manuscripts
The Center for the History of Medicine's collection of archives and manuscripts, numbering between 15-20 million items, is the largest collection of its kind in the United States. The manuscripts collection includes the personal and professional records of physicians from the medieval and Renaissance periods through the twentieth century, including the professional papers of many renowned Harvard faculty members as well as physicians and scientists from New England and around the country. Notable collections include those of Grete Bibring, Maxwell Finland, Henry Beecher, Walter Bradford Cannon, Jacob Bigelow, Clarence J. Gamble, Henry Pickering Bowditch, Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Collins Warren, Stanley Cobb, James Jackson Putnam, and Benjamin Waterhouse.
The collections comprising the Archives for Women in Medicine are contained in the Center's manuscript holdings. Also included are the records of professional associations and organizations, such as the Massachusetts Medical Society, the New England Röntgen Ray Society, and the Dorchester Medical Club, and records of health care institutions, including those of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (Photo: Dedication speech by President Eliot, 1906, Harvard Medical School, Image 00097.079. Courtesy of the Harvard Medical Library in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine.)
Warren Anatomical Museum
The Warren Anatomical Museum originated from professor John Collins Warren’s 1846 donation of his personal teaching collection to inform the Harvard Medical School’s anatomical and pathological classrooms and research. The Museum's present collection contains approximately 15,000 artifacts and medical cases, including: anatomical and pathological preparations; various wax, paper mache and dry preparation anatomical models; photographs, prints, paintings and drawings; medical instruments and machines; and other medical memorabilia. (Photo: Beauchene teaching skull, mounted, 19th century, Warren Anatomical Museum [WAM TEMP00510].)
Archives for Women in Medicine
The Archives for Women in Medicine is a project of the Joint Committee on the Status of Women and the Countway Library which seeks to document and celebrate the ongoing evolution of women’s contributions in medicine. We actively acquire, preserve, promote, and provide research access to the professional and personal records of outstanding women medical leaders, providing enduring access to the behind-the-scenes evidence of the accomplishments and struggles overcome by this cohort of women. (Photo: Dr. Rita Marie Kelley, 1925, cancer specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Courtesy of the Harvard Medical Library in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine.)
Brigham and Women’s Hospital Archives
The Center for the History of Medicine is custodian for the historical archives belonging to the Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Collections include administrative and public relations records (1855 to 1979) from BWH's parent hospitals, including the Boston Lying-in Hospital, the Free Hospital for Women, the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, the Robert B. Brigham Hospital, the Boston Hospital for Women, and the Affiliated Hospitals Center, Inc. The BWH Archives also collects and preserves historically noteworthy records of the Brigham and Women's Hospital from 1980 to the present. (Photo collage: Samples from the collection of historic documents, photographs, and artifacts. Courtesy of the BWH Archives.)
- Research Assistance
https://www.countway.harvard.edu/menuNavigation/chom/access/reference.html
- Reprographic Services
https://www.countway.harvard.edu/menuNavigation/chom/access/visit.html#r...
- Records Management
https://www.countway.harvard.edu/menuNavigation/chom/arm.html
- Access
The Center for the History of Medicine is open to all researchers regardless of academic affiliation. Anyone who has an interest in consulting the collections—physicians, medical students, historians, graduate and undergraduate students, independent scholars, and the general public—may conduct research in the Center.
- Visitor
As many items in our printed and manuscript collections are now housed in offsite storage, advance appointments to use the collections are strongly encouraged. Contact the reference staff at 617.432.2170 or chm@hms.harvard.edu to schedule an appointment. Researchers should also consult Planning Your Visit.
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Parking
Parking for people with disabilities is available. To arrange for access to a parking spot, contact the Harvard Longwood Campus Parking Office at (617) 432-1111.Wheelchair Elevators
Access to Countway from Huntington Avenue and Brigham Circle requires the use of two wheelchair elevators. One of these is located on Huntington Avenue near the steps descending from street level to the Countway/School of Public Health plaza and the other is at the entrance to the library at 10 Shattuck Street. These elevators are operated by Longwood Campus Security officers. Security may be contacted using the call box connected to each elevator or by calling (617) 432-1379.Computers for Persons with Visual Disabilities
Computers equipped with large monitors and with settings adjusted to better serve the needs of users with visual disabilities are available on the 3rd floor.Service Animals
Service animals are welcome at Countway Library.Access for Assistants
Visitors with disabilities may be accompanied by an assistant to help them in their work at Countway. Any applicable access fees will be waived for the assistant.Retrieving Materials
Countway staff are available to assist users with disabilities in retrieving materials from our shelves. If a large quantity of materials will be used, or if you have a list of items you would like us to retrieve in advance, please contact us by email or by calling (617) 432-2136 before your visit.Photocopiers/Scanners
Countway staff are available to make photocopies for users with disabilities. If a large volume of copying is required, please contact us by email or by calling (617) 432-2136 before your visit.Other Needs
Please contact us by email or by calling (617) 432-2136 to talk to us about any additional assistance or services required to make use of our building or collections. Our staff is committed to doing whatever we can to provide accommodations to assist our visitors in the effective use of the Countway Library.
https://www.countway.harvard.edu/menuNavigation/aboutCountway/directions/accessibility.html
