Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale, Europe, 1820-1910

Made:
1820-1910 in Europe
Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Silk shawl belonging to Florence Nightingale

Nightingale was often called the ‘Angel of the Crimea’ for her work during the Crimean War (1853-1856), reforming the hospital at Scutari, Turkey. During the war, more soldiers were dying of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhus than from battle-inflicted wounds. Nightingale was believed to have dramatically reduced the death rates of soldiers from 40% to 2% in two years. She enforced cleanliness and special diets, and improved the hospital’s day-to-day running.

Recent research suggests the increase in survival rates was mainly due to improved sewage and ventilation systems rather than nursing standards. However, despite Nightingale’s mistaken belief that foul-smelling air-borne ‘miasmas’ caused infection, her improvement of hygiene standards helped reduce deaths. Florence Nightingale later established nursing as a modern profession.

Details

Category:
Wellcome (general)
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A87224
Materials:
silk
Measurements:
overall: 1400 mm x 1230 mm
type:
shawl
credit:
Cawston, M.