By Tara Sims, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. Nothing about a sixteenth-century anthology about gout suggests it should be wearing a page of medieval church music; yet, here we are, discussing a 1592 compilation on podagra, dressed in its Sunday best. This book is wrapped in a single sheet of parchment donning red staff lines, […]
Rediscovering the John Preston Papers
By Isabella Sumner, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Introduction The MS 260 John Preston, MD papers are the newest addition to the McGovern Historical Center’s collections. Donated to the archives over 10 years ago, the contents of the boxes were a mystery. Once the discrepancy in the collection was discovered, we set out to investigate […]
The Houston Drug Company Records
By Kelsey Koym, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Introduction McGovern Historical Center has a new collection: the IC 109 Houston Drug Company Records. The Houston Drug Company was a business that was emblematic of the early days of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Houston, Texas. The various logs and documents are all from the laboratory of the […]
From Box to Browser: The John P. McGovern, M.D. Papers Are Now Fully Discoverable Online
By Tara Sims, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian After nearly three years of sustained archival work, the John P. McGovern, M.D. Papers (MS 115) are now fully processed, described, and searchable through the John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center’s online catalog at the Houston Academy of Medicine–Texas Medical Center Library. Researchers anywhere in […]
De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem: Part Two-Provenance
By Kelsey Koym, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Introduction This blog post is about the provenance of McGovern Historical Center’s copy of the first edition of Andreas Vesalius’ De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem (De Humani), or “On the Structure of the Human Body in Seven Books,” published in 1543. Before this investigation, McGovern was […]
De Humani Corporis Fabrica: the Crown Jewel of the McGovern Historical Center Part One
By Kelsey Koym, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at McGovern Historical Center Introduction Every year the McGovern Historical Center staff spends a week in the Rare Book Room during the Christmas season, taking care of administrative and preservation tasks. McGovern houses a valuable series of collections, and these tasks are prioritized to ensure the longevity of these historical artifacts. […]
The Pocket Physician: Decoding a Bavarian Alchemical Manuscript
By Tara Sims, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian At first glance, this manuscript appears to be a quiet, little book—small, battered, and difficult to read. Located in the Texas Medical Center’s Rare Book Room vault, where the library’s most valuable and rare books are stored, this manuscript had little to no documentation regarding either the […]
From Jack, With Love
By Tara Sims, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Among the John P. McGovern, MD Papers are a small group of handmade Valentine’s Day cards created by John P. McGovern when he was a child. Cut from colored paper, carefully assembled, and signed simply “Jack,” these valentines were made for his mother, Lottie Brown McGovern. Their […]
Voices in the Archives: Revisiting the Texas Medical Center’s Appreciation Dinner of 1981 Honoring Dr. John P. McGovern
By Tara Sims, Archivist & Special Collections Librarian — National Archives Month, 2025. Rewind In 1981, the Texas Medical Center institutions gathered to celebrate Dr. McGovern’s remarkable contributions to medicine, medical education, philanthropy, and to Houston itself. The occasion was an Appreciations Dinner held on May 5 in the ballroom of The Doctors’ Club of […]
Hermann and Its People: Photographs from Hermann Hospital Archives Records
By Kelsey Koym, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian This post is an exciting announcement that the photos used in the Centennial Hermann Hospital Exhibit taken from IC 086 Hermann Hospital Records are now in McGovern Historical Center’s online portal AToM. There are a few early pictures worth highlighting about the patients and staff of Hermann […]