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Monday 10am - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm

Museum of Anaesthesia

Name: Museum of Anaesthesia
Address: 21 Portland Place, London, W1B1PY, GB
Telephone: 02076311650
Price range: $

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Museum of Anaesthesia

Free London medical museum exploring the weird and wonderful history of anaesthesia. Find us at the Association of Anaesthetists, 21 Portland Place, London.

The Anaesthesia Heritage Centre at the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland was founded from a donation by A Charles King but has since embraced numerous contributions. The collection encompasses the entire history of anaesthesia, from Morton's demonstration of ether inhalation in 1846 to modern anaesthetic machines and appliances still in use today. An archive and library pro

vide excellent facilities for research into the history of anaesthesia. The Anaesthesia Heritage Centre is open Monday - Friday, 10.00 - 16.00. Free admission. Tube stations: Oxford Circus, Regents Park, Great Portland Street
Train stations: Euston, St Pancras/ King's Cross
Buses: 7, 8, 10, 18, 25, 27, 30, 55, 73, 88, 98, 176, 205, 553, C2

For more information visit:
https://anaesthetists.org/Home/Heritage-centre

26/05/2026

A breathtaking range of Wright Respirometers! Which one is your favourite?

The cut off lines read:
"All Respirometers are supplied with circuit adaptors and safety harness, in a protective carrying case.

We also provide fast and inexpensive repair and re-calibration service.

fdE (logo)
Ferraris Medical LTD."

21/05/2026

Can you spot which Royal opened the Association of Anaesthetists’ previous home?

The Association used to live in Bedford Square, a place with its very own medical history. It was a popular residential spot with doctors; the Hunterian School of Medicine was situated just across the square; and the London Mesmeric Infirmary was also nearby!

It was on the 9th of July 1987 when Princess Margaret formally opened 9 Bedford Square as the first official Association headquarters. (Well done if you spotted her in the images!)

In need of a bit more space as membership grew, we moved into our current beloved home, 21 Portland Place, in 2002.

18/05/2026

What does critical hope look like in anaesthesia?

Today marks the start of Creativity and Wellbeing Week!

Arts, culture, and creativity have an amazing ability to bring us closer to ourselves and one another. This year’s theme, Critical Hope, asks us to challenge our thinking. What issues are we facing in anaesthesia, and how might we realistically envision a better future for all?

If you are interested in how creativity and wellbeing can intersect, come along to our temporary exhibition, Between Feeling and Unfeeling: Art and Anaesthesia. We would love to hear your side of the story!

14/05/2026

Calling all kids and future anaesthetists!

Could your artwork be next on our digital Bloomberg Connects Gallery? Perhaps you have an experience you would like to capture through paint, a model, a poem, or even a song. Or maybe you're inspired by one of our prompts?

1) When you fall asleep, where do you go?
2) A self-portrait as a future anaesthetist
3) Your favourite object at the Museum of Anaesthesia

Whatever your creativity brings, we can't wait to see it!

Find us in 21 Portland Place or download Bloomberg Connects to explore our exhibition, Between Feeling and Unfeeling: Art and Anaesthesia🎨

11/05/2026

If you could invent an anaesthetic machine, what colour would it be? What would you call it?

We’re definitely fans of the pastel blue on these machines! 💙

Most early anaesthetic machines were named after their inventors. The Boyles machine (left) was named after its creator Henry Boyle and the babyBird ventilator (right) was named such because it was used for ventilatory management of newborns and was invented by Forrest Bird.

Come along to our half term family workshop, Machines and Zines, to design your very own anaesthetic machine in a zine to take home!
🗓️Thursday 28 May
📍21 Portland Place
🎟️Pay what you can: £2, £5 or £10
Link in bio

07/05/2026

Who was Lucy Baldwin and why was this machine named after her? 🏥

Lucy Baldwin (1869-1945) is remembered for her maternity health activism. Writer and wife of prime minister Stanley Baldwin, she used her social position and personal experience of 6 difficult births to improve maternity care for all. She campaigned for equal care for all mothers in labour, believing all women should have access to an affordable, safe, and painless childbirth experience. This included setting up anaesthetic funds for labour wards.

The Lucy Baldwin Gas-Oxygen Analgesia Apparatus was developed in the mid 20th century after her death, commemorating her dedication to maternity health. Her efforts helped increase the amount of self-administered anaesthetic machines in hospitals (like this one!), allowing for quick and easy pain relief during labour.

01/05/2026

'Between Feeling and Unfeeling: Art and Anaesthesia' has officially opened! 🎨

This year's temporary exhibition combines art and medicine through curious objects and works, old and new. Displaying paintings, prints, medical illustration and sound, it considers how we understand, communicate and manage pain, and how creative practice can offer new perspectives on the body, care and consciousness.

A big thank you to everyone who came and gave the exhibition a warm welcome. It was a wonderful evening celebrating with you!

29/04/2026

Can you invent the next great anaesthetic gadget?

Join us this half term for a family workshop exploring real anaesthetic equipment with real anaesthetists and create your own imaginative medical invention in a colourful zine to take home.

A fun mix of science, creativity and hands-on discovery for the family!

🗓Thursday 28th May
📍 Association of Anaesthetists, 21 Portland Place, London

This event is 'pay what you can'. Scan the QRcode to book!

28/04/2026

Meet Magda Kuca!

To celebrate the opening of our new temporary exhibition, we will be introducing you to the various contemporary artists who helped make it happen.

Magda Kuca is a Polish artist based in London who utilises historical photographic techniques to explore heritage, memory, and the intersections of photography, science, and folklore. Using ether as her chemical agent in the the collodion process, she parallels the histories of photography and medicine.

On top of displaying her beautiful work, Magda will be running a hands-on electrophotography workshop on Thursday 30th April. Scan the QRcode on the last slide or visit our linktree to book now!

26/04/2026

Indocyanine green, aka Cardio-Green, was initially developed by Kodak to be used in photography. In the 1950s however, it entered the world of medicine!

Indocyanine green is a non-toxic diagnostic tool. It is injected ino the patient's bloodstream where it binds to plasma proteins and acts as a dye. And as it travels through, it fluoresces in the near infrared! This means doctors can use it for imaging and detecting issues inside the body, for example with the heart and liver.

Bonus points for it being such a cool colour!

Address

21 Portland Place
London
W1B1PY

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

02076311650

Website

https://linktr.ee/museumofanaesthesia

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