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Health visitors standing outside the City Chambers
Unknown, 1917, Photograph
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of 39
Health visitors standing outside the City Chambers
Health visitors standing outside the City Chambers
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Location
Category
Library Item
Item no
32427
Title
Health visitors standing outside Edinburgh's City Chambers
Description
Mary Cunningham stands at the far right.
Artist / maker
Unknown
Date
1917
Size
13.8x8.7cm
Type
Photograph
Location
Edinburgh and Scottish Collection
Ten nurses were hired in 1917 as health visitors to implement Edinburgh's Infant Welfare Scheme. They started work the week of 9th July 1917.
The City Chambers were designed by John Adams in 1793 to be build on the site of the Provost of Edinburgh's Mansion where Mary Queen of Scots spent her last night. Built as the Royal Exchange it was unpopular with merchants who continued to meet elsewhere leaving the council in 1811 to take over part of the building before in 1893 taking sole possession. The main chambers designed by Robert Morham date from 1875-1890. The Arched Arcades at the front of the courtyard were added in 1901 and in the 1930's East and West wings were added.
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
Mary Cunningham: Pioneering Health Visitor
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