An English Heritage blue plaque has recently been unveilled to commemorate Lilian Lindsay, the first female dentist to qualify in Britain. Find out about her struggle to become a dentist and her subsequent career in a special exhibition at the BDA Dental Museum.
Current temporary exhibitions
Lilian Lindsay and the Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry
To mark the 50th anniversary in 2012 of the Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry the museum is hosting an exhibition about the society and Lilian Lindsay, the woman after whom the society was named. Lindsay (1870 – 1960) was the first woman to qualify as a dentist in the UK (in 1895 from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh) and was also an esteemed dental historian.
Oral history project
The museum has recently launched the dedicted website for the ‘John Mclean Archive: A Living History of Dentistry’. The website includes audio excerpts and transcriptions from the oral history interviews and group witness seminars which have taken place so far. The project, which the museum is undertaking in conjunction with the Unit for the History of Dentistry of King’s College London Dental Institute, aims to document the history of dentistry since the start of the National Health Service. The project has been funded by a bequest from the estate of the late John McLean.
The museum is still looking for volunteer interviewers to carry out the oral history interviews – you don’t have to have a background in dentistry! The oral history interviews will represent what was happening in dentistry all over the country so are looking for interviewers from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There are other volunteer opportunities too, for example listening to interviews, cataloguing the archive and carrying out research prior to interviews. If you are interested in the project and would like to be involved in any of these roles or would just like to find out more information, please contact the project co-ordinator.
The BDA Dental Museum is the place to find out about the history of dental care in the UK. With over 20,000 items the museum has the largest collection of material relating to the history of dentistry in the UK, from its time as a marketplace spectacle to the complex procedures and treatment of today.
The museum aims to bring out the relevance of the past, present and future of dentistry, to inspire and educate existing and new audiences and to influence the perception of the science, practice and social impact of dentistry.
The museum will achieve this through growing and caring for its collection and by making it accessible to all through displays, publications, education services, research opportunities and in the virtual environment.
“An excellent small museum.”
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Listing Details
- Address: 64 Wimpole Street London W1G 8YS
- Phone: 020 7935 0875
- Website: https://www.bda.org/museum
- Email: museum@bda.org
- Get there by bus: 88, 453, C2
- Get there by tube/train: Central Line,
- Wheelchair access: Yes
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Additional information:
There is a ramp up to the entrance of the
BDA which has self-opening doors. There is
an intercom at the bottom of the ramp if
you would like assistance. The museum is
on the ground floor on the left-hand side.
You are welcome to come straight in (the
museum door is kept open during opening
hours) or ask at the main BDA reception.
Displays
Most of the displays are in the museum. There are small temporary exhibition
areas in the foyer (ground floor) and on the lower ground floor. Please ask
museum staff if you would like to use the lift instead of the stairs to access
the lower ground floor.
There is always a member of museum staff on duty during museum opening
hours. The museum desk is next to the museum. Please feel free to ask any
questions.
The museum has a number of volunteers. They sit at a desk inside the
museum. Please feel free to ask them any questions.
An induction loop is fitted in the museum and at the main BDA
reception.
Although the museum is small there is room for wheelchair users
and prams. Please phone in advance if a number of wheelchair
users and/or people with prams wish to come together.
Seating is available in the museum.
There are books and quizzes for children and during the school holidays there
is a Victorian dental chair and foot drill which they can try out.
There is a small sales point in the museum with books, postcards and
souvenirs. We can take cash, cheques, debit and credit cards. Please ask
museum staff if you would like to buy anything.
Please turn your mobile phone to silent to allow others to enjoy their visit.
Opening Times
- Monday Closed
- Tuesday 13:00-16:00
- Wednesday 13:00-16:00
- Thursday 13:00-16:00
- Friday Closed
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed
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