City Matters 154

CITYMATTERS.LONDON
June 07 - July 04 2023 | Page 13
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ENTERTAINMENT
ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S
A CELEBRATION OF LONDON’S OLDEST HOSPITAL
LONDON’S oldest hospital will
be celebrated this month with a
free outdoor exhibition at three
locations in the City of London,
writes Angela Sharda.
St. Bartholomew’s Hospital,
more commonly known as ‘Barts’, opened
to patients in 1123 and has provided patient
care on the same site for longer than any
other hospital in England.
The story of the hospital’s extraordinary
legacy will be told using photographs, art,
and history drawn from Barts Health NHS
Trust Archives’ extensive collections.
A mix of diaries, maps, ancient account
books, images, and medieval records will
demonstrate moving stories of those who
worked, lived, and died at the hospital over
images: City of London Corporation
the last nine centuries.
The exhibition opens in the City
Corporation’s Guildhall Yard, EC2, from 10
May and is on until 6 June, after which it
will be presented in Aldgate Square, EC3,
from 7 June until 5 July.
The final part of the exhibition runs at St
Bartholomew’s Hospital Square, EC1, from
6 July to 1 August.
Chair of the City of London Corporation’s
Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee,
Wendy Hyde, said: “St. Bartholomew’s
Hospital has been a very familiar sight in the
City since medieval times, and it is entirely
fitting that we celebrate its landmark anniversary
and the superb work carried out by
its dedicated staff over the centuries. This
engaging exhibition will open on a location
that is no less historic, being the site of
London’s Roman Amphitheatre and, as with
previous displays presented here, I am sure
that it will prove very popular.”
“This fruitful collaboration between the
hospital and the City Corporation aligns with
our flagship Destination City programme,
which is creating a seven-day-a-week
leisure destination for UK and international
visitors, workers, and residents to enjoy.”
The City of London Corporation, which
owns and manages Guildhall Yard, is
the fourth largest funder of heritage and
cultural activities in the UK and invests over
£130m annually.
Lead archivist for Barts Health, Kate
Jarman, said: “Our archives reveal an
unbroken history from the founding of St
Bartholomew’s in 1123 to present day. From
the famous to the forgotten, London lives
fly from the pages of Barts’ ancient ledgers,
with stories of crisis and caring, miracle
and mayhem, living and loss, agony and
healing. This exhibition is not to be missed.”
•To find out more information on
the wider Barts900 campaign and
programme, visit barts900.org