Apothecary 2020

Curator’s Notes
This year has naturally been much restricted by the
closure of the Hall and the restrictions under Covid 19.
Fortunately, technology has come to the rescue and with
the help of our computer suppliers, ASAP, both Janet
Payne our Archive Officer and I have been able to access
all our electronic files remotely. This includes access to
some photographs, records and register entries that have
been previously copied and stored on the servers for one
reason or another. With our new CALM database also
available, we have at least been able to see what items we
hold in the Collections
and answer
queries.
As mentioned
last year we now
have new office space
available, (provisionally
entitled the Cecil
Wall Room in honour
of a previous Curator)
and we were able to
organise this area
before lockdown was
upon us. As well as a
new office and workspace for the Collections and for the
Friends of the Archives, we now store our comprehensive
run of medical registers in there and are utilizing the
additional space to store artefacts and books awaiting
cataloguing. Additionally, following the reorganization of
the Examinations department, and work by the Records
Manager, we have in there a significant archive of historic
examination material to catalogue. Pandemic permitting, I
would hope that in the not too distant future we might
look perhaps to a professional archivist to undertake this
work.
I have also kept up contacts with those with an interest
in the Collection. These have of course included our
Faculty President Briony Hudson and Sharon Messenger
formerly of the RCGP, as well as with Catherine Walker,
the new Museum Officer at the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society. We have been also pleased to see Anna Simmons,
well known to the archives, as the new course leader for
the DHMSA and I look forward to our work becoming
more integrated with the Society’s overall educational
functions. As always, I am most grateful that the Friends
of the Archives have maintained their interest and
support, albeit with much curtailed activity due to the
pandemic.
Unfortunately tours of the Hall, the income from
which is now being allocated to the Collection, have been
curtailed for the time being. Similarly, during the
pandemic we have not been able to welcome volunteers to
help with various small projects. This pending work
includes a little further cataloging of photographs, and
some updating of our artefacts collection on the CALM
database where minor errors have been noticed. We also
have many interesting items to add that are presently
stored in our cellars and are awaiting cataloguing. I hope
to be able to undertake some of this work myself, and one
or two volunteers
were able to return to
work in the Autumn
to continue with
archiving. One important
addition to the
Collection has been a
portrait of Thedore de
Mayerne, physician to
James I who helped
Gideon de Laune
gain approval for a
separate Apothecaries’
Society. Fittingly de
Mayerne now hangs
next to de Laune’s
portrait on the
landing.
Throughout this period, I have been grateful to Janet
Payne for her continued, if sometimes “remote” work on
keeping queries answered and information provided.
We sincerely hope that 2021 will see something of a
return to normality.
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