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KEY WORDS Equipment and supplies, Famous persons, History, Operative, Surgical procedures
This article explores the work and collections of the Thackray Museum of Medical History and its link with the former medical supplies company, Chas F Thackray Ltd. It focuses particularly on the Museum's surgical artefacts, and on the Thackray company's involvement in developments in the history of surgery during the twentieth century. The article is based on a presentation given to the National Association of Theatre Nurses Conference in October 2004.
Introduction
The Thackray name is well known in medical circles because of the long and successful history of the Leeds-based company Chas F Thackray Ltd. Thackray's manufactured, repaired and supplied medical equipment worldwide during the life of the company from 1902 until 1990. The company was perhaps best known for its pioneering partnership with surgeon Sir John Charnley, producing the parts and instruments for his successful low friction arthroplasty from the 1960s(Waugh 1990).
Today the Thackray name is also well known in the fields of medical history, education and tourism because of the Thackray Museum, situated next to St James's Hospital in Leeds. It was founded by Paul Thackray, Deputy Managing Director of the company from 1979 and grandson of the original Chas F Thackray.
The Museum opened in 1997, funded by £3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and by other significant contributions. It is an independent charitable trust and is supported by theThackray Medical Research Trust. It also generates a large proportion of its income from visitor admissions and from its successful conference centre. The Museum offers visitors a highly engaging and interactive experience, exploring the history of medicine in Britain since the 1800s.
Since its opening, the Museum has received national and international recognition. Recent awards have included being voted the Best Small Visitor Attraction of the Year in the 2004 Excellence in England Tourism Awards, and being awarded a second Sandford Award for Excellence in Heritage Education. The Museum currently welcomes around 75,000 visitors a year, including over 20,000 school children.
Collecting medical history
The idea for the Thackray Museum began with a collection of objects and literature developed as part of Chas F Thackray Ltd by Paul Thackray from the early 1980s. In 1990 Thackray's was sold and...