This competition is now closed. The Museum of Health Care would like to thank all applicants. The Museum of Health Care is accepting proposals for a resident 16-week summer research fellowship (May – September), which will investigate a topic relevant to the history of health and health care. The fellow will communicate the results of … More 2023 Margaret Angus Research Fellowship (MARF) Competition Open
For those living with cystic fibrosis (CF) from the 1960s to mid-1970s, nights called for fog. People with CF would tuck into bed under a plastic canopy filled with a medicated mist, accompanied by one or more whirring compressors nebulizing solution all night long. These “mist tents,” as the devices were known, were considered a mainstay of CF treatment—until, abruptly (and perhaps mercifully), they weren’t. … More “You wake up soaked”: Mist Tents and Cystic Fibrosis
Antibiotics have been a mainstay of CF treatment throughout the decades. This simple statement, however, obscures their various manifestations in the lives of people with CF. The principles may have been similar in 1950 and 1990, but the experiences were vastly different. Material culture illuminates the changes that textual references can obscure, as exemplified here by the objects of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment for CF lung infections. … More (IV) Hook-ups: Cystic fibrosis and intravenous antibiotics
Since cystic fibrosis (CF) was identified in 1938, tens of thousands have lived with the severe genetic disease. Each experience has been individual, yet common threads run through, most notably experiences of healthcare. People with CF become well-acquainted with the clinic, the hospital, the pharmacy; the need to accommodate at home piles of pill bottles, physio devices, nebulizer set-ups, perhaps home IVs, feeding tubes, oxygen compressors, insulin. The lived experience of everyday life with CF in a large part resides in these objects and their environments. … More The “Stuff” of Cystic Fibrosis
Savannah Sewell (MARF 2021) presented the results of her project, in which she endeavored to create a holistic and human narrative focused account of the lived experience of COVID-19. Savannah spoke to the hurdles and highlights of her experience in amassing a foundational COVID-19 Collection for the Museum of Health Care, and offered examples of the artifacts and narratives collected. … More The Lived Experience of COVID-19 in Canada presentation recording available
The collaborations on this project have surpassed any expectations that I could have possibly had, and the … More Highlights and Goodbyes
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok have been enormous COVID-19 information and communication resources during this pandemic. In this blog, we’re going to explore the differences between them and the advantages and disadvantages that accompany being one of their daily users. … More Social Media and Pandemic Pandemonium
One of the most difficult aspects of everyday life for Canadians and Canadian residents during the COVID-19 pandemic has been occupying their time. In the spring of 2020, many people were excited by the two-week extension of March Break (in Ontario), an opportunity to have a few quiet weeks at home to curb the virus. As we all know, those two weeks have continued into 15 months of pandemic protocols, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders. … More Recreation and Fun in the time of COVID-19
As the days turned to weeks and weeks into months the hallowed emails reading “in these unprecedented times” grew to become the norm. But, besides what we, individually, remember about those first few “unprecedented” weeks, what have been the most important markers in the pandemic for Canadians? … More COVID-19 In Canada: A Timeline
Each year, the Museum of Health Care welcomes applications it’s Margaret Angus Research Fellowship, a project focused on sharing the history of health and health care from dedicated research done by a selected candidate. The Museum of Health Care is happy to welcome Savannah Sewell to the position of Margaret Angus Research Fellow for 2021! … More Margaret Angus Research Fellowship 2021: Introducing Savannah Sewell!
