iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Noisy and enclosed, MRI machines are a difficult place for a child to lie still for a scan. Miniature models like this one help prepare young patients for a scan and avoid the need for a sedative or a general anaesthetic.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Wax model of a human brain, cross-sectioned, by Joseph Towne, 1826-79 Towne was the anatomical model maker at Guy’s Hospital, London, for 53 years. He was very secretive about his techniques, working alone and reportedly blocking the keyhole to his workroom with wax to prevent spying. RCSAC/214

Wax model of a cross-sectioned human brain, on a black wooden stand, against a blue background.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

The exhibition ‘Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery’ welcomed over 5000 visitors before closing last week. If you missed out on the exhibition, or would like to revisit some of its inspiring stories, the portraits are now available to explore as a new online exhibition – ow.ly/MoPj50YRBKi

Individual standing in a gallery space, looking at a series of portraits of surgeons

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Reposted by Hunterian Museum London

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

🫀 On Friday we held the second Work of Mending workshop at @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social, exploring pride in skill across histories of surgery and craft. Thank you to everyone who joined and we’re looking forward to continuing the conversation at our next workshop at The Quilters' Guild in York!

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Going on an egg hunt this weekend? 🐣 If you find any that look like this be sure to leave them alone — they are definitely not chocolate, they are grass snake eggs! 1/4

Glass specimen jar containing pale yellow eggs preserved in fluid. Labels on the jar read 'Tropidonotus' and '3304'.

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The Royal College of Surgeons of England @collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Tonight, our Women in Surgery community came together to mark International Women’s Day – a moment to connect, reflect and look ahead. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate and view the exhibition, Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery. Learn more about WinS: ow.ly/oUSI50Ys2W1

Five women standing together in a historic library with tall bookshelves filled with old books behind them.

Three professional women standing together in a grand library with tall bookshelves filled with leather-bound books.

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Reposted by Hunterian Museum London

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

We are delighted to invite you to take part in The Work of Mending workshops with @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social at The Royal College of Surgeons of England! This series of creative workshops explores the meaning of hands and handwork, past and present. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/cc/the-work-...

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Reposted by Hunterian Museum London

Dame Suzy Lishman @ilovepathology.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Loved the women in surgery portrait exhibition @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social @collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social. Great to meet all the surgeons at the private view last week. Do pop in if you’re in London, and visit the Hunterian Museum while you’re there. hunterianmuseum.org/exhibitions/...

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

John Hunter was so proud of this specimen that he is said to have displayed it in his dining room, rather than in his museum with the rest of the collection.

A tubular specimen, arranged in a spiral and displayed in a round, gold-coloured frame. The tube appears silver in colour due to injected mercury. A label with the number “577” is attached at the bottom inside the frame.

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The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

We are delighted to be partnering with @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social at The Royal College of Surgeons of England in our research on hands, craft and haptic skill in the nineteenth century! Stay tuned for news about our collaboration and how to get involved!

Black and white image showing a person helping another put on a glove. The glove is open, filled with water, as one hand slides in.

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The Royal College of Surgeons of England @collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Want to learn more about the surgeons behind the portraits, including our brilliant Women in Surgery Forum Chair, Felicity Meyer? Join us for a special viewing of Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery, celebrating International Women's Day, on 10 March, at 6pm. Book now: ow.ly/RQ4l50Y5kat

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

📢New Exhibition📢 - Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery Friday 6 February - Saturday 18 April 2026, Wednesdays to Saturdays, 10am-5pm hunterianmuseum.org/exhibitions/...

hunterianmuseum.org

Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery

An exhibition shining a spotlight on women in surgery working across the UK today, offering an intimate and contemporary look at surgical life.

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Reposted by Hunterian Museum London

Dame Suzy Lishman @ilovepathology.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Had a great morning @collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social learning about the role of volunteers. Had an induction session then a volunteer took me on a building tour and showed me his object of the day in @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social. Finished with object handling. Learnt so much, can’t wait to go back!

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Can you guess what these little painted discs were used for?

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

📢Come and work at the Hunterian Museum 📢 Two roles - Collections Officer - Conservation Assistant 👇👇👇 hunterianmuseum.org/news/vacancy...

hunterianmuseum.org

Vacancies - Collections Officer and Conservation Assistant

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Reposted by Hunterian Museum London

Miles 🩻 @blacksmoke1033.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Made myself a notebook cover, based on the Evelyn Tables in the @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social 🩻 (I made the bookmark to go inside it, too)

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Why is there a human tooth in this chicken’s head? It is the result of an experiment carried out by surgeon-anatomist John Hunter over 240 years ago. 🧵1/6

A glass container filled with clear liquid containing the head of a cockerel with a human tooth implanted into its comb. A label at the bottom reads ‘P 56’.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

The Starr-Edwards valve was the first artificial mechanical valve used successfully in humans, and uses a ball-and-cage design to control the flow of blood. It was the product of a partnership between surgeon Dr Albert Starr, and engineer Mr Lowell Edwards. Hunterian Museum, RCSIC/E 90.0.1

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

How did Guillermo del Toro’s new Frankenstein film take inspiration from the Hunterian Museum? @realgdt.bsky.social

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

This 270-year-old pastel drawing vividly illustrates the journey of a hen's egg to a fully developed chick. By Dutch artist Jan van Rymsdyk, they were made for John Hunter in about 1755, when he was investigating animal reproduction. It is likely that Hunter used the drawing for presentations.

Pastel illustration showing the stages of chick embryo development inside eggs, arranged in a five-row grid against a blue background. The first four rows depict gradual growth from fertilised eggs to forming embryos, while the fifth row shows four chicks with distinct features, some partially hatched.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

This striking profile of a skull is thought to be by William Cheselden (1688–1752), a skilled surgeon who gained fame as a teacher of surgery and anatomy.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

Found in an abandoned Italian Army surgical unit near Salerno, in south-west Italy, during the Second World War, this portable field kit contains around 40 stainless steel surgical instruments and a small alcohol burner.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

In seahorses, pipefish, and seadragons (all part of the Syngnathidae family), males incubate their fertilised eggs in a specialised brood pouch until birth. Learn more with Tyler, Museum Supervisor at the Hunterian Museum.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Did you know that rattlesnakes give birth to live young? 🐍 Unlike many reptiles, rattlesnakes don't lay eggs. Instead, their embryos develop in eggs inside the mother's body, a process called ovoviviparity. The young are then born fully formed. 1/2

A glass container filled with clear liquid containing a specimen of a rattlesnake embryo. The label at the top of the container reads "Crotalus" and the label at the bottom reads "3316". The embryo is coiled and visible within an internal egg structure.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

This is a turnip-tailed gecko, named after the shape and size of its tail (which this one is actually missing!) It was originally prepared by John Hunter (1728-93), to reveal the development of the ovum in the ovaries. RCSHC/3333 #historyofmedicine #historyofscience #museum

Glass specimen pot labelled '3333' and 'Thecadactylus' containing a gecko specimen with a dissected abdomen suspended in fluid

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

What can a jar tell us about the history of medicine? These beautiful drug jars, some over 400 years old, originate from across Europe. They once held remedies ranging from oil of roses to senna laxatives. Comment below if you want more information on any particular jar!

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

This model bed is a prototype from 1873 that allowed a patient's bedding to be changed without disturbing them. It was designed by surgeon William Winchester, who also designed a clockwork amputation saw. Learn more with Hunterian Museum Curator Alice

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

These glass eyes were made by Mollie Surman of Kingston, Surrey in the mid 1900s. Surman was from a family of glassblowers and made her first 'eye' when she was 12. The main eye would be blown from white glass before other colours of glass were added in to make the iris, pupil, and veins.

Glass eyes lying on a black background. The eyes are half globes that closely resemble a human eye, including the black pupil, coloured iris (in shades of blue, green and brown) and the white sclera with the details of red blood vessels.

Glass eyes lying in a grid in a blue velvet case. The eyes are half globes that closely resemble a human eye, including the black pupil, coloured iris (in shades of blue, green and brown) and the white sclera with the details of red blood vessels.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

This specimen is only part of a 4kg benign tumour (a salivary adenoma) that was removed from 37-year-old John Burley on 24 October 1785. The operation by John Hunter took just 25 minutes and Burley made a complete recovery. The drawings show him both before and after the operation.

Glass specimen pot, labelled 'P 216', containing a large solid specimen suspended in fluid. The specimen's internal structure is formed of multiple circular compartments of different sizes.

A drawing of a man with large tumour on the left side of his face and jaw, extending well below his chin

A drawing of a man looking to his right, with a scar extending from his ear to the middle of his neck

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

This dental phantom was made around 1900 for dental students to practice their skills before treating real patients. A hat-maker’s dummy has been added to represent the head of the patient. The jaws contain removable brass teeth allowing various dental procedures to be practiced. (RCSIC/Z 149)

Wooden head shaped object with brass jaws and teeth mounted on a metal stand

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

These are specimens of the common frog, showing the different stages of growth from a tadpole to a young frog. At the bottom is the tadpole stage with a tail and no limbs. As it grows the tail reduces and legs begin to appear, as shown in the top specimen. (RCSHC/3283)

Glass Specimen pot, labelled '3283' and 'Rana', containing four individual specimens threaded onto a piece of wire in a vertical column suspended in fluid. The specimens show the development of a frog, at the bottom is a tadpole, at the top is a young frog.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

This is a clockwork surgical saw from c.1850. Once wound up it would spin at a high speed, but there was no way to control the speed or stop it once it was going. This made it incredibly dangerous for both the patient and the surgeon. Luckily for everyone, it did not catch on.

Surgical instrument consisting of a round, toothed blade attached to a wooden handle. The blade is made of a rusted metal.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

This microscope slide is over 250 years old and was made by William Hewson (1739–1774). Hewson was a surgeon anatomist who made important discoveries about blood and the lymphatic system. He died from sepsis in 1774, aged 35, after injuring himself during a dissection. 1/2

A square microscope slide with a beige background and an overlying network of red blood vessels. In the top left corner, a small label reads "G 2" in handwritten text. The slide shows signs of age, with minor chips and wear along the edges.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

📢Come and work at the Hunterian Museum 📢 RCS England Museums is seeking a dynamic, highly motivated and empathetic individual to develop, deliver and promote inspiring public and professional Museum engagement programmes, on site and online. 👇👇👇 hunterianmuseum.org/news/vacancy...

hunterianmuseum.org

Vacancy - Museums Engagement Manager

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Due to ongoing essential maintenance work, the Hunterian Museum will remain closed until Friday 4 July. The Museum will reopen on Saturday 5 July. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Ever wondered what's inside a snail's shell? Inside a snail's shell is most of its body, curled up, with the shell acting as a protective shield for its internal organs. These are Roman snails, named because they were a delicacy for ancient Romans. They remain popular in French cuisine today.

A cylindrical glass container filled with a clear liquid, containing three preserved snail specimens positioned at different levels. Each specimen is labeled with letters 'a', 'b', and 'c'. The container has a black lid and a base marked with the numbers 301, 302, and 1391. The label at the top reads 'helix'

A close up of the bottom specimen - A Roman snail with the shell removed

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Looking forward to it! You can book your ticket for the Hunterian Event here: hunterianmuseum.org/events/natur...

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

What is a hernia? A hernia occurs when a part of the body protrudes into an abnormal position, ending up somewhere it shouldn't be. For example, this can happen when a section of intestine passes through a weakness in a person's abdominal muscles. 1/7

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

NEW EVENT 📅 Thurs 1 May, 18:30 - 20:00 Join us for an evening talk about the hidden stories behind the world’s iconic natural history museums, celebrating the launch of Jack Ashby’s new book, Nature’s Memory: Behind the Scenes at the World’s Natural History Museums. tinyurl.com/5n834ub8

tinyurl.com

Nature’s Memory: Book Launch

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

The installation of the Long Gallery took two months and involved nine staff members, along with numerous ladders, trolleys, and crates. The Long Gallery displays over 2000 of John Hunter's original preparations. #behindthescenesatthemuseum #museumwork #specimens #hunterianmuseum #londonmuseum

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Join us on Monday 7 April for a fun day for SEND families. Discover the mysteries of the human body through our interactive drop-in activities, with hands-on anatomy models, and historical surgical instruments in a dedicated learning space. Find out more and book your place: tinyurl.com/39uvmsum

Four images showing children and adults looking and interacting with anatomy models, historical surgical instruments and colouring pages. Text in the centre of the images reads 'SEND Family Day, Monday 7 April'

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

This Thursday! Thursday 20 March, 6:30pm Join author Wendy Moore for a talk exploring the incredible story of Jack and Eve - two women who were suffragettes, life-long partners and heroes of the First World War. Find out more and book here: tinyurl.com/vtjk6x6x

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Saturday is International Women's Day 2025 This is 'A Century of Women in Surgery', by Paul Cox, 2005 The surgeons observe an operation being performed - the dates above their heads indicate when they qualified as Fellows of the College. #internationalwomensday @collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social

A lecture theatre with six rows of raked seating occupies the left of the composition; the seats are filled with female surgeons from throughout history. Their names, and the date of their Fellowship to the College (where relevant) is inscribed above their heads; they watch an operation being performed by two female surgeons. Above this is a scene showing Averil Mansfield in a consulting room with a woman and a young girl, and to the right, a scene showing a surgeon checking on a young patient lying in a hospital bed. To the top right of the composition is a view of the front of the College, and below this, surgeons scrubbing up in preparation for surgery.

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

NEW EVENT 📅 Thurs 20 March, 18:30 - 20:00 Join author Wendy Moore for a talk exploring the incredible story of Jack and Eve - two women who were suffragettes, life-long partners and heroes of the First World War who saved the lives of wounded soldiers. tinyurl.com/vtjk6x6x

tinyurl.com

Jack & Eve: Two Suffragettes in Love and at War

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Hunterian Museum London @hunterianmuseum.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Hello Bluesky! For the Hunterian Museum's first post, here is oscar-winning film director Guillermo Del Toro @realgdt.bsky.social sky.social giving his seal of approval to the Hunterian Museum 👇👇 Follow to learn more about the art and science of surgery from ancient times to the present day.

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