In 2026, we were delighted to receive an exciting collection of medical and surgical items from Dr William Stewart. During his career as a GP in Castlederg, William amassed a large collection of historical items, which he kindly donated to Ian Miller, Senior Lecturer in History at Ulster University. In November 2026, a selection of
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Developed in conjunction with: The Story Shipbuilding was one of Belfast’s key industrial successes. The Titanic was famously built in Belfast (for better or for worse), and the iconic Harland and Wolff cranes still tower high on the city’s landscape. The lives of those working in the docks and shipyards was often beset with life-threatening
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At the historic Mulhouse Building at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast (now part of the Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland) can be found a mysterious chest containing medical objects. No-one is sure how it got there.
A Mysterious Medical Chest Read More »
Developed in partnership with: In 1941, the Blitz arrived in Belfast. Working with Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum, we set out to explore the Belfast Blitz from a medical history perspective, focusing on injury, shock, stress-related illness and medical care. We drew from Northern Ireland War Memorial’s oral histories collection and Blitz-related material to develop new
Developed in partnership with: The Story behind the Midwife’s Bag In the 1960s, Mrs Moffat worked as a busy midwife, helping deliver new-born babies across East Belfast. Decades later, her family found her midwives’ bag in an attic where it had been left untouched. The bag still contained Mrs Moffat’s midwifery tools. The bag was recently
