Globe and Mail: How lessons from the past can help shape future health outcomes

That’s where the Museum of Health Care aims to make a contribution. “Our objects can tell a million stories, not just about vaccines but also about vaccine hesitancy,” says Ms. McGowan. “A lot of the discussion that was the backlash against the smallpox vaccine, for example, is not that different from what you hear today. It is really interesting to see this continuity.” The question then becomes what lessons we are willing to learn, and Ms. McGowan believes that seeing an iron lung, a smallpox vaccination certificate or a poster about wearing a mask during the 1918-19 influenza epidemic can provide an extra incentive for seeking out valid evidence. … More Globe and Mail: How lessons from the past can help shape future health outcomes

Monsters Take Over the Museum of Health Care this Halloween

Date:  Saturday, October 22, 2022 Time: Drop in any time between 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM   Cost: Admission by donation Registration is not required On Saturday, October 22nd enter the Museum of Health Care…if you dare! Halloween monsters will be taking over the Museum for an all-ages, ghoulish good time. This event will feature some … More Monsters Take Over the Museum of Health Care this Halloween

Doors Open 2022 at the Museum of Health Care

The Museum will be open for the weekend! If you haven’t had a chance to visit yet, here it is! Event dates and times: Saturday, September 24th 10am-4pm Sunday, September 25th 10am-1pm Visit us during Doors Open Kingston and experience Canada’s healthcare story brought to life through: Behind the Scenes Collections Tours (registration required) Specially … More Doors Open 2022 at the Museum of Health Care

Welcome MARF 2022: Anna Krentz

The Museum of Health Care is pleased to welcome Anna Krentz, this year’s Margaret Angus Research Fellow!⁠ ⁠ Anna Krentz is an archivist, historical researcher, and writer with cystic fibrosis. Her interdisciplinary background includes an MA from Toronto Metropolitan University and Honours BA from St. Francis Xavier University, as well as, graduate coursework in the … More Welcome MARF 2022: Anna Krentz

So You’ve Got a Curator. Now What?

The Museum of Health Care at Kingston has hired a curator! Huzzah!
But some of you may be wondering: what does that actually mean? What on earth is a curator and what do they do? It’s both simple and surprisingly hard to answer. You’re probably at least vaguely aware that a curator is someone who works in a museum. You might have seen a curator in a movie, usually in the form of a pretentious, stodgy academic peevishly insisting that the hero stop touching the exhibits and with pretty even odds on getting murdered by a supernatural force trapped in some ancient artifact (as far as movie professions go, curators tend to have lifespans approximately equal to cops the day before retirement). You may have heard of someone curating a social media feed or a Pinterest board or read a thinkpiece on why calling everyone who collects content a curator will be the downfall of society. All of which can make it hard to figure out what exactly a museum curator does.
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2022 Margaret Angus Research Fellowship: Now Accepting Applications!

The Museum of Health Care is accepting proposals for a resident 12-week summer research fellowship (June – September), which will investigate a topic relevant to the history of health and health care. The fellow will communicate the results of their research by posting updates via the Museum’s blog, producing a scholarly manuscript that will become part of the Museum’s collection, and giving a public lecture in the fall. … More 2022 Margaret Angus Research Fellowship: Now Accepting Applications!

OTF Supports Virtual Programming at Museum of Health Care

Support from OTF allowed the Museum to continue its services and adapt its outreach to school-aged children despite the obstacles imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As with so many other businesses and organizations, the Museum of Health Care has had to find new ways to engage with the public having been closed (then open, then closed) over the past two years. … More OTF Supports Virtual Programming at Museum of Health Care