Museum of Anaesthesia

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

03/09/2026

Falling asleep, going under, or simply anaesthesia. What do you call it? What do you think best describes anaesthesia to you?

Join poet Sarah Fletcher here at 21 Portland Place on Thursday 15th October for an evening of creative writing✍️

Link in bio!

Back to the archives we go! Your month, your vintage ad (part 2!)Any favourites?🤔
01/09/2026

Back to the archives we go! Your month, your vintage ad (part 2!)

Any favourites?🤔

Take a look at some of the amazing work from our Sip and Sketch event, in collaboration with The Medical Artists' Educat...
28/08/2026

Take a look at some of the amazing work from our Sip and Sketch event, in collaboration with The Medical Artists' Education Trust (.org.uk ). We had a wonderful time and we hope you did too! A huge thank you again to MAET for your support.

Remember to send us a photo of your work if you'd like it to feature on our Bloomberg Connects page 🎨

🔪Why do we call them “painkillers”?🎭Why is the operating room also called a “theatre”?🌊What does it mean to “go under”?🧠...
26/08/2026

🔪Why do we call them “painkillers”?
🎭Why is the operating room also called a “theatre”?
🌊What does it mean to “go under”?
🧠When we have an anaesthetic, where does our mind go?

Explore the language and images surrounding anaesthesia with us on Thursday 15 October at Sarah Fletcher’s poetry writing workshop!

Tickets are linked in our bio.

Let us know what you think in the comments! ⤵️

Credit: Perry Davis’ Pain Killer, Wellcome Collection (CC BY 4.0). Watercolour, iStock / Getty Images Plus.

Meet Mary Rouncefield!Today we are continuing to celebrate the various contemporary artists who helped make our temporar...
25/08/2026

Meet Mary Rouncefield!

Today we are continuing to celebrate the various contemporary artists who helped make our temporary exhibition happen.

Mary Rouncefield is a drawing, print, and textiles artist. She has worked directly with scientists to produce projects and artist's books, including 'The Invaders' with parasitologist Rachel Hutchinson at the University of Bristol. You can also find her art in the Wellcome Images biomedical library!

Come along to see her incredible painting depicting anaesthesia!
📍21 Portland Place

We're hiring! ✨An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Collections Officer (FTC) to join the Museum of Anaesthesia team...
19/08/2026

We're hiring! ✨

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Collections Officer (FTC) to join the Museum of Anaesthesia team at the Association of Anaesthetists.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a museum professional to lead on a set of exciting, time-limited projects, including the Museum's re-accreditation, a collections move to new storage, a digitisation project with Axiell, and coordinating our next temporary exhibition, all while based at our historic headquarters at 21 Portland Place, London.

🔗Job description linked in bio
🗓Apply by Friday 11 September
📧Send your CV and cover letter to [email protected]

What could this be?🔎 (...dogs?) These puppies present an example of 19th century advertisement for Dr Fenner’s Golden Re...
18/08/2026

What could this be?🔎 (...dogs?)

These puppies present an example of 19th century advertisement for Dr Fenner’s Golden Relief medicine as part of his ‘People’s Remedies’.

Milton Marion Fenner was born in 1837 in Stockton, NY and studied at The Eclectic Medicine College of Cincinnati. Eclectic perhaps at the time, this school took a medical approach that utilised botanical remedies and physical therapies. After graduating in 1860, he set up his own practice and became a well-known local physician. As his career progressed, he decided he wanted to manufacture and sell his popular remedies. Using printed advertising and cards, like shown, he grew his products' popularity.

Amongst his many household remedies, including ‘Dr. Fenner’s Pleasant Worm Syrup’, was a medicine named Golden Relief. If you look closely at the packaging, you will see it contained alcohol, ether, and chloroform!

If you were in the 19th century, would you want to buy some? And what message do you think the card is sending?🐾

On this day in 1744, Robert Southey was born. You might know him for his Romantic poetry up in the Lake District, but di...
12/08/2026

On this day in 1744, Robert Southey was born. You might know him for his Romantic poetry up in the Lake District, but did you know he was friends with Humphry Davy?

After his self-experiments with nitrous oxide, Humphry Davy began to share his laughing gas with others. A friend of his, Robert Southey was one who got to delight in this new “wonder gas”! In true poetic fashion, he described his euphoria in letters to his brother, Tom. Laughing gas parties became a recreational activity amongst the wealthy and a scientific spectacle!

To our anaesthetists out there, how often do you find yourself proclaiming “O, excellent air bag!”?

Image credit: Keswick Museum and Art Gallery
Robert Southey (1774–1843), Aged 31 by John Opie (1761–1807)

Quotes from Mike Jay’s ‘”O, Excellent Air Bag!” Under the Influence of Nitrous Oxide, 1799 – 1920' (2016).

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of an exhibition?🔎🖼Step into our shoes and find out how we put together our...
08/08/2026

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of an exhibition?🔎🖼

Step into our shoes and find out how we put together our current exhibition, 'Between feeling and unfeeling: art and anaesthesia'.

Museum of Anaesthesia on Substack: link in bio!📚

Hi everyone!Have you ever visited the Museum of Anaesthesia?If the answer is no, please help us by answering the followi...
06/08/2026

Hi everyone!

Have you ever visited the Museum of Anaesthesia?

If the answer is no, please help us by answering the following:

1) What has prevented you from visiting?
2) What kinds of objects, stories, and activities would you expect to find in the museum?
3) Do you have any questions for us about the museum and accessing us? Please share!

Feel free to comment or message us directly with your answers. Thank you for your time! 🩺🏛️

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

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