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Toxic Medicine Exhibit: Toxic Medicines

Medicine Vials

By Kelsey L. Koym, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. The medicines used for the Toxic Medicines and Toxic Books exhibit were selected based on their historical use to treat various ailments and diseases; however, these treatments are now known today to be quite harmful to human health. It is important to remember that the ideology… Continue Reading Toxic Medicine Exhibit: Toxic Medicines […]

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John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science Collection

By Tara Carron, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. Newly processed! The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Science collection has been processed and a finding aid is available at https://archives.library.tmc.edu/ic-079. The Health Museum: A Brief History In 1962, the “Victory Over Polio” campaign prompted the formation of a citizens committee, which recommended creating permanent… Continue Reading John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science Collection […]

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Texas Redback Currency: A Hidden Gem in the John P. McGovern, MD Collection of Texas Historical Medical Documents

Texas Redback bank note (verso), c. 1839. MS 021 John P. McGovern, MD Collection of Historical Medical Documents, Box 2, Folder 28.

By Tara Carron, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. While processing the John P. McGovern Collection of Texas Historical Medical Documents, I came across an interesting piece of Republic-era financial history: a beautifully preserved Texas “Redback” banknote. The significance of this curious document nestled within an archival collection primarily comprised of historical medical documents created by… Continue Reading Texas Redback Currency: A Hidden Gem in the John P. McGovern, MD Collection of Texas Historical Medical Documents […]

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Herman Detering History of Photography and Psychiatry collection

[Hermann Detering standing in front of bookshelves in the Detering Book Gallery, undated. MS203-b2f11-file4-roll2-020, Herman Detering History of Photography and Psychiatry collection, McGovern Historical Center, TMC Library]

Newly processed! The Herman Detering History of Photography and Psychiatry collection has been processed and a finding aid is available at https://archives.library.tmc.edu/ms-203. Herman Eberhard Detering, III, was the longtime owner of the Detering Book Gallery, a rare book store in the Houston area. His grandfather H.E. Detering, Sr., founded The Detering General Store, which was… Continue Reading Herman Detering History of Photography and Psychiatry collection […]

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McGovern Medical Medallions Ready for Research

MS 200 Tray 1 McGovern Medical Medallions including Sigmund Freud and Marie Curie.

by Matt Richardson, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. Attention numismatists, exonumists, historians of medicine, and lovers of all things McGovern! Your friendly neighborhood archivists are proud to announce the availability of the MS 200 John P. McGovern Medical Medallions Collection. This collection consists of medallions commemorating people, conferences, and other events in the history of… Continue Reading McGovern Medical Medallions Ready for Research […]

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And the Sorting Begins!

By Kate Wilson, Archivist The McGovern Historical Collections recently received a collection of early twentieth century medical artifacts. The collector, a family physician in Austin, Texas, had a personal interest in hearing related devices and quack medicine, so most of the objects in the collection can fall into those categories. The first step in processing a collection is organizing… Continue Reading And the Sorting Begins! […]

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