Nurses at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Ward 13

Category

Library Item

Item no

32378

Title

Nurses at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Ward 13 (male surgical)

Description

Mary Cunningham, front right.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1911

Size

8.7 x 13.8cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Annotated on reverse "Dec 1911".

The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI)has existed since 1729. The first hospital was a 4 bed unit at Robertson Close above the Cowgate and had standards very different from those today. In 1736 a Royal Charter granted permission to build a hospital at High School Yards which had 228 beds plus 12 Cells for the mentally ill. Edinburgh now had a hospital to serve a population of 50,000.

This hospital became over extended and a new building opened in 1879 between Lauriston Place and the Meadows with facilities for 600 patients. During its lifetime it was regarded as one of the finest medical centres in the UK. In 2003 Lauriston Place was closed and the new ERI opened at Little France serving a much wider area than was previously possible.

This image comes from a photograph album donated to Edinburgh Libraries covering the nursing career of Miss Mary Morag Bird Cunningham. Mary was born in 1888 and at the age of 22 began training at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (RIE) as a nurse. Once qualified in 1915 she moved to the Edinburgh Royal Maternity Hospital (ERMH) and obviously found her calling in the care of children. In 1917 she became one of Edinburgh's first health visitors as part of the introduction of Edinburgh's Child Welfare Scheme. The album contains early photographs of the RIE and ERMH as well as images of child health care clinics that she worked in during the 1930s at Portobello and Prestonfield.

Exhibitions with this item

Other views of this item

Related images

Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Garments > Uniforms

Healthcare and welfare > Healthcare and welfare facilities > Hospitals

People > Health and safety > Nurses

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Read how our collections have inspired people taking part in events, visits and community groups. Use the slider or navigation arrows to see more responses.