Celebrating our collections dating from 780AD to the present day
The history of Queen Victoria Hospital and the Guinea Pigs can often seem a very male-dominated narrative. McIndoe and the other star plastic surgeons of the day were all men; the Guinea Pig Club was unquestionably a ‘boys’ club.’ Yet often behind the scenes women were making vital – and memorable – contributions to the…
Continue reading ➞ Queen Victoria Hospital Archive Project: ‘Women in the Wings’
The name of Sir Archibald McIndoe comes – deservedly - to the fore in any retelling of the history of Queen Victoria Hospital. As this series of blogs has highlighted, there can be no doubt of his influence in transforming the fortunes of both the hospital and of a multitude of patients through his…
Continue reading ➞ Queen Victoria Hospital Archive Project: Beyond McIndoe – staff at QVH
Today's post is a guest blog from Katie Kettle, a volunteer at East Grinstead Museum, who provides us with a special insight into the relationship between the Guinea Pig Club and the town of East Grinstead. Archibald McIndoe was one of Britain’s few plastic surgeons at the beginning of the Second…
McIndoe and his team at QVH unquestionably accomplished great things in the treatment of severe burns, and in the subsequent surgical reconstruction of disfigured faces, hands and other parts of the body. Yet the achievements of McIndoe’s regime at the hospital extended far beyond physical repair. Many previous posts in this series, including the recent…
Continue reading ➞ Queen Victoria Hospital Archive Project: psychological rehabilitation
We're very pleased to introduce this guest post which has been written by distinguished plastic surgeon, Mr Tom Cochrane, who was not only consultant plastic surgeon at Queen Victoria Hospital for many years, but also honorary plastic surgeon to the Guinea Pig Club. Throughout this time, he has supported the Guinea Pigs in many other ways, giving his time selflessly…
Continue reading ➞ Queen Victoria Hospital Archive Project: treatment of burns
This is the second of two posts about the Guinea Pig club. As discussed in our previous post (see ‘Introducing the Guinea Pig Club’), the Guinea Pig Club began its existence as a social and drinking club. However, it was not long before it became much more than that. Archibald McIndoe was quick to recognise…
Continue reading ➞ Queen Victoria Hospital Archive Project: Guinea Pigs for life
‘It has been described as the most exclusive club in the world, but the entrance fee is something most men would not care to pay and the conditions of membership are arduous in the extreme.’ Archibald McIndoe on the Guinea Pig Club One of the most remarkable legacies of the war years at Queen Victoria…
Continue reading ➞ Queen Victoria Hospital Archive Project: Introduction to the Guinea Pig Club
This post will provide a general overview of McIndoe’s life and work. Later posts will examine different aspects of his work at Queen Victoria Hospital in more depth. The man who became known as ‘the Maestro’ of Queen Victoria Hospital was born in Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand on 4th…
Continue reading ➞ Queen Victoria Hospital Archive Project: McIndoe ‘The Maestro’
November 2018 marks the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport, a British led programme which rescued over 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi persecution in Germany and annexed territories. The first trains arrived in Britain on 2nd December 1938 and the scheme continued until the outbreak of war in 1939. Many of the transports arrived in Harwich…
Continue reading ➞ Kindertransport and refugees in West Sussex
Between the centenary of the Representation of the People Act on 6th Feb 2018, which granted the first women the right to vote, and International Women's Day on 8th March, we have been using Twitter and Instagram to share some of the notable West Sussex women involved in the campaign for suffrage. Using the tag #WestSussexWomen you can follow…
Continue reading ➞ International Women’s Day: West Sussex Women and the Centenary of Suffrage
West Sussex Record Office 