LMA—Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) continues to mark its 100th anniversary celebration with a display of historical nurses’ uniforms and a self-guided audio tour of the hospital.
Branded “BluePrint” after the nationally known teaching hospital’s colors, the two-year celebration will mark the 100th anniversaries of two of the hospitals that merged to become BWH: the Peter Brent Brigham, founded 1913, and the Robert Breck Brigham, founded 1914.
The uniform display includes outfits from 1900 to 1960, lent by collector and philanthropist Frederic A. Sharf, a Harvard graduate.
“As you can imagine, the display has been attracting a lot of attention as people walk by,” BWH spokesperson Tom Langford told the Gazette.
The uniforms include severe dark blue dresses with matching capes, WWII-era blue dresses with white aprons and lots of heeled black boots that came before the most recent all-white outfit and low-heeled, more comfortable shoes.
The hospital is also offering a self-guided audio tour that members of the community can take, using their smartphones. The hospital is also offering iPods to check out from information desks for those visitors without smartphones.
“The tour just launched and as far as we know, BWH is unique among hospitals in having a high-tech tour like this,” Langford said.
A historical nurse’s uniform currently on display at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital lobby as part of the hospital’s 100th anniversary celebration. (Courtesy Photo)
BWH will continue to offer special events throughout the next two years as part of its celebration, culminating in next year’s opening of the Stoneman Centennial Park, a new green space under construction in Brigham Circle. Items from a recently-opened time capsule are on public display in the BWH lobby at 75 Francis St., and also online at brighamandwomens.org.
Historical nurses’ uniforms dating from 1900 to 1960 are currently on display at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital lobby as part of the hospital’s 100th anniversary celebration. (Courtesy Photo)