Wellcome Stories – Pastimespace

secrets of our library

Librarian Alexandra shows us one of her favourite things in our collection: a red squirrel 'scampering around the page' of a 15th century book.

Alt text: In this reel, Alexandra - who has brown hair and wears a green and black stripy top - stands framed by the hanging lamps of our Reading Room. She shows us details from an antique-looking book, including a beautifully drawn red squirrel at the bottom of a page decorated with a design of curling leaves, stems and petals.

Credit: Summa angelica de casibus conscientiae / [Angelus Carletus].
Angelo Carletti, 1411-1495.
Date: 28 Aug. 1488
EPB/INC/1.c.18.2Show More

secrets of our library

Librarian Alexandra shows us one of her favourite things in our [...]

Radical Acceptance and Recovery with Grace Spence Green

Join a conversation between Grace Spence Green and Kyla Harris, as [...]

What is radical acceptance?

For Dr. Grace Spence Green, radical acceptance isn't about overcoming [...]

How to catch a unicorn.

According to medieval legend, only the purest can tame a unicorn - so [...]

The social history of death

Death comes for all of us, and while the A-list ones dominate the [...]

Fighting for your language.

What does it mean to live with your language under threat? ‘1880 THAT’ [...]

Who dreamt up the first limb transplant?

This extraordinary painting from our collection shows the medieval [...]

Molly Conisbee on how death and dying shaped the past

Death comes for all of us, and while the A-list ones dominate history [...]

This painting has a secret.

What secrets do paintings keep? In this picture from our collection, [...]

What can a garden in Brazil tell us about escape and freedom?

Quilombos - ‘freed villages’ - were established by people who escaped [...]

How Harriet Tubman used her knowledge of plants during escapes

Abolitionist Harriet Tubman is known for creating a network of safe [...]

This fruit became a weapon against enslavement.

The manchineel apple is one of the most toxic fruit in the world, [...]

What is a zine?

What are zines, and how have artists and activists used them to [...]

‘Zines Forever!' at Wellcome Collection

‘Zines Forever!' is open now at Wellcome Collection. This new display [...]

This photo is a lie about slavery

Over many centuries, European colonialists established plantations [...]

Do plants tell a hidden story about slavery?

From healing the body to poisoning plantation owners — this is a story [...]

From healing the body to poisoning plantation owners — this is a story of plants and power.

Plantations are large pieces of land for agriculture work, and were first established in the early 16th century by Portuguese and Spanish settlers on the island of São Tomé, off the west coast of Africa. What started on this small island soon spread across the world, and European settlers established many plantations as they colonised the Americas and beyond.

To provide labour for plantations around the world, colonial powers forcibly brought enslaved people to work for them — often from Africa. This work had a serious, lasting impact on their health, often leading to injuries. Plus, the crowded and unhealthy living conditions made it easier for illnesses and infections to spread.

But buried in this history is another chapter. A tale about enslaved people’s fight for control over their lives, bodies and health — one in which plants became a source of healing and resistance against unhealthy and oppressive environments.

0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Plants and work
01:27 - Plants and escape
02:11 - Plants and freedom
03:00 - Plants and resistance
03:57 - Plants and healing
04:57 - Plants and capitalism

This video is inspired by Wellcome Collection's exhibition 'Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights' which looks at the impact of physical work on health and the body. See these works in person at Wellcome Collection until 27 April 2025: https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/hard-graft-work-health-and-rights

#WellcomeCollection #HardGraft #health #work #rights #workersrights #botany #herbalmedicine #herbalmedicines #history #medicalhistory #JacobLawrence #harriettubman #CharmaineWatkiss #ForensicArchitecture

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16th-century women in science

In the 16th century, women in apothecaries were quietly advancing our [...]

A map of London's 'Blue Death'

Cholera - sometimes called the ‘blue death’ because of the bluish cast [...]

Access to Work

When it comes to work, an accessible approach benefits us all. Join us [...]

Why is St Agatha shown holding her severed breasts?

This is Saint Agatha, who is often depicted, as she is here, with her [...]

This is Saint Agatha, who is often depicted, as she is here, with her severed breasts on a plate.

According to legend, at a very young age, Agatha made the decision to remain celibate in order to focus on her devotion to God. But that did not stop men from making unwanted advances toward her.

One of those men was Quintianus. He fell madly in love with her and attempted – on numerous occasions – to marry her. When she rejected his advances, he had her imprisoned.

During that time, he had her tortured. And when he noticed Agatha was still unflinchingly devoted to God, Quintanius ordered for her breasts to be cut off.

St Agatha's story has made her the patron saint of breast cancer patients, wet nurses and, curiously, bell-ringers (due to the shape of her severed breasts).

[Alt text: This reel shows several images of St Agatha. In the first, we see a woman with rosy cheeks and a halo, who holds her severed breasts on a plate. We move to a 17th-century oil painting with Agatha pitched in a white light. The figure of Quintanius stands behind Agatha with his hand on her shoulder, and a second, frightening-looking figure clasps a tongs, alluding to the removal of Agatha's breasts. This is followed by a black and white image of Agatha praying to God, and a 19th-century print of Agatha enchained. One of the most striking images towards the end is not specifically of St Agatha, but shows a 17th century mastectomy in which the patient is seated and held down by two men. The instrument used in the engraving is the same instrument the artist depicted in another work showing the torture of St Agatha.]

Credits:
Saint Agatha. Oil painting by an Italian (?) painter, 18th (?) century. Reference: 44779i

The martyrdom of Saint Agatha. Oil painting by a follower of C. F. Nuvolone. Wellcome Collection. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Mastectomy. Drawing attributed to a Dutch artist, 17th century. Wellcome Collection. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Saint Agatha holding her breasts on a charger. Ink drawing by Tommaso Minardi. Wellcome Collection. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Saint Agatha. Colour photogravure. Wellcome Collection. Source: Wellcome Collection.Show More

What did Egypt and Jerusalem look like 150 years ago?

Egypt and Jerusalem as seen by German painter Karl Werner in the [...]

Egypt and Jerusalem as seen by German painter Karl Werner in the 1860s.

Yearn to be a traveler in an antique land? Take all the time you need with these paintings which are fully digitised on our collections website: https://wellcome.info/werner

Alt text:

1: Humans and camels look tiny before the colossal Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Giza. 40357i

2: A campfire, with a small group huddled around it, lights up the carvings on the statues of Memnon. Three millennia after his death, these statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III still tower over mortal men. 40355i

3: A small group gathers under a wall which is covered in hieroglyphics. 40358i

4: Camels pass over a sun baked landscape and by the ruined tomb of Sultan Barsbai. 40352i

5: A small boat piled high with reeds is piloted by a man in a fez down the river Nile near Akhmim. 40353i

6: A monk and others pray in a church, decorated with icons, situated in the same land where their faith was born. 30532i

7: A man smoking a long pipe sits high upon a camel while a crowd bustles below. 25469i

8: As humans look tiny compared to the Pyramids, they themselves are rendered insignificant to the immensity of the Earth. Across the desert the pyramids of Giza look minute. 40352i

9: In the shadows of a shop a man smokes a long pipe while another plays a stringed instrument. Out in the light of the street two women in white shop. 25224

10: The river and palm trees by the temple of Isis at Philae. 40356i

11: Jewish worshippers at the Wailing Wall. 40359i

12: A shaft of light shines down in an ornate Jerusalem coffee house. A little fountain decorates this courtyard. 18120i

13: A woman in a veil sits in the shade and clutches a palm, where she sells piles of oranges from wicker baskets.

14: A tent sits in the shade in the Egyptian desert. 40357i

15: Palms, ruins and camels by the Nile at Aswān. 40354i

16: A gleaming full moon shines through the ruins of the Ancient Egyptians reflects a celestial road upon the water. 40355i]Show More

Who is the Goddess of Food?

What's the value of food, comfort, and sensuality? Does the world [...]

Being a blind mum

What does it mean to be a blind mum? Disability activist Amy Kavanagh [...]

Today is World AIDS Day

The story of HIV and AIDS is global, intimate, personal, political, [...]

POV: It's 1955 and you're taking a visit to Wellcome #shorts

POV: It's 1955 and you're taking a visit to Wellcome* See the [...]

5-step tutorial to maximise your creativity with artist Jason Wilsher Mills

Ideas going nowhere? Stuck in a rut with no clue where to start? Grab [...]

How a statue shares your pain #WorldMentalHealthDay

A reminder this #WorldMentalHealthDay that Wellcome Collection is free [...]

Women's Bodies and Work

Join us for a panel discussion on the long and complicated history of [...]

Join us for a panel discussion on the long and complicated history of women and their bodies in the context of work. The panel will share their research and lived experience on a range of topics such as Black women’s bodies, reproductive health, fertility, miscarriage and birth trauma.

This event is inspired by Helen King’s book ‘Immaculate Forms', which examines the gate-keeping role of medicine and religion over women’s organs. It is also influenced by our exhibition 'Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights', which explores experiences of physical work and its impacts on health and the body.

Elizabeth Lynch MBE works with artists, organisations and communities as a strategic advisor and researcher. She is interested in arts and science collaborations, youth arts, creative ageing practices and in making cultural democracy.

Helen King is Professor Emerita of Classical Studies at the Open University. She is a historian of medicine and the body, and has held visiting posts at Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota, the Peninsula Medical School, and the universities of Vienna, Texas, Notre Dame and British Columbia. She is also an elected member of the General Synod of the Church of England, where she is vice-chair of the Gender and Sexuality Group. Since her first monograph, ‘Hippocrates’ Woman: Reading the female body in ancient Greece’ (1988), including her latest release ‘Immaculate Forms’, she has published on aspects of gynaecology and obstetrics from classical Greece to the 19th century.

Dr Annabel Sowemimo is a doctor, activist and writer. As well as being a sexual and reproductive health consultant in the NHS, she is also the founder of community-based organisation Reproductive Justice Initiative, formed to address the colonial history of sexual and reproductive health. Annabel is a PhD candidate and Harold Moody Scholar at King’s College London. Her first book, ‘Divided’ (Wellcome Collection/Profile Books) is an exploration of race and health.

Emma Smith is a visual artist who is based in the UK and works internationally. Her work is research- and production-based, and often involves bringing together multi-disciplinary teams, including collaborations with academics, professionals and hobbyists. She has a social practice and creates platforms for people to share research, experience and knowledge on human relationships and the places we cohabit, with a particular interest in the hidden and invisible. She has exhibited widely in the UK and Europe.

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Is it possible to contact angels?

Ever wanted an angel by your side? In this video, our expert on the [...]

How do memories become mermaids?

This video tells the story behind one of the luminous, colourful [...]

Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights. Open now at Wellcome Collection

What work do we value, and why? And what traces does work leave on the [...]

How an ancient religion maps the world

Jambūdvīpa is the name for the human realm in Jainism, an ancient and [...]

The story behind 'Painting with My Mouth' by Jason Wilsher-Mills #shorts #jasonwilshermills

When Jason Wilsher-Mills became paralysed in childhood, he found [...]

How a disabled artist creates new worlds: Jason and the Adventure of 254 #shorts

Who decides what ‘disabled’ means? Artist Jason Wilsher-Mills’ work [...]

Jason Wilsher-Mills on turning his illness into art

Creativity always finds a way. For Jason Wilsher-Mills, an artist and [...]

Jason and The Adventure of 254 - exhibition trailer

‘Jason and the Adventure of 254’ is artist Jason Wilsher-Mills's [...]

Meet the artist whose illness set him on the path to becoming an artist

One moment can change the direction of your life forever. For artist [...]

Everything You Need to Know About Wellcome Collection

Hey new followers, we thought we should introduce ourselves... 👋 For [...]

Calliper Boots (2024) by Jason Wilsher-Mills

Ever wanted to take a dull, grey or offensive part of your life, shape [...]

60-second exhibition tour with artist Jason Wilsher Mills #shorts #art #contemporaryart #childhood

For 60-seconds, artist Jason Wilsher-Mills takes us back in time to [...]

How a life-changing moment inspired Jason Wilsher-Mills' art | Virtual exhibition tour

Some moments stick with you forever. For artist Jason Wilsher Mills, [...]

How to break free from mainstream beauty ideals with Emma Dabiri

How do filters and flawless selfies affect our personal ideas about [...]

How do filters and flawless selfies affect our personal ideas about beauty? And what can we do when social media makes us feel anything but beautiful?

Join Emma Dabiri, author, sociologist, and social media user, as she delves into the complexities of beauty standards accelerated by the digital age.

Dabiri offers five tips that have helped her break free from mainstream beauty ideals and redefine beauty on her own terms.

This video has been made to accompany The Cult of Beauty exhibition – showing at Wellcome Collection until 28 April 2024 – as well as the publication of Disobedient Bodies, a book written by Emma Dabiri and published by Wellcome Collection.

For more information on The Cult of Beauty: https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA

For more information on Disobedient Bodies by Emma Dabiri: https://wellcomecollection.org/books/ZO7vDxEAACYAjU5t

0:00 - Intro
0:33 - Social media, self-esteem and representation
01:41 - Tip 1: focus more on inner beauty
02:11 - Tip 2: cultivate community
02:40 - Tip 3: recognise the importance of group activities
03:31 - Tip 4: surround yourself with beauty
04:02 - Tip 5: Dispense with the 'defect' mindset

#TheCultOfBeauty #WellcomeCollection

Music: Nkisi, Lament II (instrumental)

*Artist credits:*

An Algorithmic Gaze II, 2023, by Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm: https://www.instagram.com/artificialmind_ai/

Steam, The Bully Pulpit, Haley Morris-Cafiero, 2019, Courtesy the artist and TJ Boulting: https://www.instagram.com/hmorriscafiero

Permissible Beauty, 2022, © RCMG / Soup Co [film stills] / © Robert Taylor [production stills] / Reproduced with permission of RCMG, University of Leicester/ Soup Co. [new photography] https://www.instagram.com/permissiblebeauty

‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, Beauty unravelled in the virtual scroll’, Xcessive Aesthetics, 2023: https://www.instagram.com/xcessiveaesthetics

Beauty Sensorium, 2023, Renaissance Goo x Baum & Leahy, commissioned by Wellcome Collection: https://www.instagram.com/baumleahy and https://www.instagram.com/profjillburkeShow More

What beauty means to Philosophy Tube’s Abigail Thorn: The Cult of Beauty at Wellcome Collection

Join Abigail Thorn, actress, writer, and creator of Philosophy Tube, [...]

Join Abigail Thorn, actress, writer, and creator of Philosophy Tube, as she takes us on a tour around Wellcome Collection, a museum in London covering health and human experience.

The focus? A free temporary exhibition called “The Cult of Beauty”, which delves into the meaning of beauty and its evolution throughout history.

While highlighting some of the historical objects and artworks that resonate with her, Abigail reflects on beauty ideals past and present, positive and negative – how society is moulded by them, and how they have given shape to her own personal feelings about beauty.

This video has been made to accompany The Cult of Beauty exhibition – showing at Wellcome Collection until 28 April 2024.

Find out more on our website: https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA

0:00 - Intro
0:45 - Ancient beauty and Queen Nefertiti
01:42 - Husbands bringing their ugly wives to a windmill, to be transformed into beautiful women
02:28 - Beauty and ageing
02:44 - Alchemy and the Ripley Scroll
03:25 - What would Barbie look like if she was life size?
03:39 - Beauty as a moral duty, pseudomorality and Heather Widdows
05:40 - Renaissance beauty ingredients
06:07 - Beauty and social media
06:35 - Sleeping Hermaphroditus
07:22 - Hopeful works in The Cult of Beauty
08:25: What permissible beauty means to Abigail Thorn
08:40 - Conclusion

#TheCultOfBeauty #WellcomeCollection

Music: Nkisi, Lament II (instrumental)

Artwork credits:
Bust of Queen Nefertiti, originally c. 1351–34 BCE, Clarke and Davies, 1912–28 CE (reproduction), Wellcome Collection / Science Museum Group

Husbands bringing their ugly wives to a windmill, to be transformed into beautiful women, Paulus Fürst c.1650, Wellcome Collection

Wax vanitas depicting life and death, modelled on Queen Elizabeth I, 1700s, Wellcome Collection / Science Museum Group

Ripley Scroll, Unknown maker, after George Ripley, c. 1600, Wellcome Collection

Lifesize Barbie and Oriol, Adel Rootstein Ltd., 2009, Stiftung Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden. Social media: https://www.instagram.com/dhmdresden/

'It makes no sense to be beautiful if no one is ugly', 2023, by Makeupbrutalism, commissioned by Wellcome Collection. Social media: https://www.instagram.com/makeupbrutalism

2 Reasons You’re Tired All the Time, Juno Calypso, 2013, Courtesy of the artist and T J Boulting and Slendertone II, Juno Calypso, 2015, Courtesy of the artist and T J Boulting. Social media: https://www.instagram.com/junocalypso/

Beauty Sensorium, 2023, Renaissance Goo x Baum & Leahy, commissioned by Wellcome Collection. https://www.instagram.com/baumleahy and https://www.instagram.com/@profjillburke

‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, Beauty unravelled in the virtual scroll’, Xcessive Aesthetics, 2023

Sleeping Hermaphroditus, 2nd century CE (original), Wellcome Collection / Science Museum Group

‘Perhaps We are all Fictions in the Eye of the Beholder’, Xu Yang, 2021, Courtesy of the artist. Social media: https://www.instagram.com/_xu.yang_/

Permissible Beauty, 2022, © RCMG / Soup Co [film stills] / © Robert Taylor [production stills] / Reproduced with permission of RCMG, University of Leicester/ Soup Co. [new photography] https://www.instagram.com/permissiblebeauty

(Almost) all of my dead mother’s beautiful things, Narcissister, 2023, Commissioned by Wellcome Collection

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Virtual Tour of Wellcome Collection's The Cult of Beauty Exhibition

Join us for a virtual tour of our current critically-acclaimed [...]

The Camera Always Lies

Join an illustrated talk inspired by ‘The Cult of Beauty‘ exhibition. [...]

The history behind Emma Dabiri’s makeup tools

Why do some of us slather ourselves in fake tan and others paint their [...]

Why do some of us slather ourselves in fake tan and others paint their lips red? And what can culture and history tell us about the looks we find beautiful?

Author, sociologist, and beauty enthusiast, Emma Dabiri unveils the stories behind the tools in her beauty bag, shedding light on the origins of modern-day beauty standards.

By looking at the cultural and historical roots behind compact mirrors, pin-tail combs and other tools used in our beauty regimes, Dabiri dives into the stories that give shape to our personal feelings about beauty.

This video has been made to accompany The Cult of Beauty exhibition, showing at Wellcome Collection until 28 April 2024.

Find out more about The Cult of Beauty: https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA

Buy Emma Dabiri's book, Disobedient Bodies: https://wellcomecollection.org/books/ZO7vDxEAACYAjU5t

0:00 - Intro
0:47 - Fake tan
1:50 - Compact mirrors
2:51 - Lipstick
3:57 - Pintail comb
4:50 - Conclusion

#TheCultOfBeauty #WellcomeCollection

Music: Nkisi, Lament II (instrumental)

*Artist credits:*

An Algorithmic Gaze II, 2023, by Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm: https://www.instagram.com/artificialmind_ai/

'It makes no sense to be beautiful if no one is ugly', 2023, by Makeupbrutalism, commissioned by Wellcome Collection https://www.instagram.com/makeupbrutalism

Ancient Egyptian bronze mirror, 800-100 BCE, Wellcome Collection / Science Museum Group

Islamic glass convex mirror, 901–1000, Wellcome Collection / Science Museum Group

Narcissus and Echo, Engraving by F. Bartolozzi, after Luti, Benedetto, 1791, Wellcome Collection

Diane de Poitiers in her bedchamber, Louis Hague, after William James Müller
1841, Wellcome Collection

Auxerre Goddess, and Auxerre Goddess restored, original c.640 BC, Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge

Untitled (Mkpuk Eba) Untitled (Adebe) Untitled (Onile Gogoro Or Akaba)
J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, 1974–75, printed 2012. Courtesy of Estate of J. D.'Okhai Ojeikere / Foto Okeikere and Tate

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5 things you (probably) won’t know about corsets with Bernadette Banner

What are the myths *you’ve* been told about corsets? Join Bernadette [...]

What are the myths *you’ve* been told about corsets?

Join Bernadette Banner as she unravels fact from fiction, revealing five things you may not have known about history’s most misunderstood shapewear.

From the medical origins of early corsets to surprising revelations about children’s “waists”, Bernadette weaves personal anecdotes and historical artefacts to paint a more nuanced picture of corsets which goes beyond the stereotypical narrative.

This video has been made to accompany The Cult of Beauty exhibition, showing at Wellcome Collection until 28 April 2024.

Contents of this video:
0:00 - Intro
0:36 - Some early corsets were medical devices
01:28 - Corsets can be extraordinarily comfortable
01:54 - Functional corsets versus tight lacing
02:24 - Kids and babies wore corsets
02:48 - Some 19th-century men wore corsets
03:22 - Wearing a corset won't cause any harm (just don't lace too tightly!)
03:50 - Conclusion

#TheCultOfBeauty #WellcomeCollection

Music: Nkisi, Lament II (instrumental)

*Credits:*

Über die Wirkungen der Schnürbrüste ‘The effects of the corset on the spine’, Samuel Thomas von Soemmerring 1793, Wellcome Collection

Corset with rosebud design, À La Couronne Paris, 1900–5, Reproduced with permission of Fashion Museum Bath https://www.instagram.com/fashion_museum_bath

Maternity corset, Spencers of Banbury, 1950s, Reproduced with permission of Fashion Museum Bath https://www.instagram.com/fashion_museum_bath

Baby’s stay, 1800-25, Reproduced with permission of Fashion Museum Bath https://www.instagram.com/fashion_museum_bath

Orthopaedic corset for bone or muscle realignment, 1800s, Wellcome Collection / Science Museum Group

Advertisement for Harness’ electropathic belt, The Medical Battery Co., Ltd., 1893, Wellcome Collection

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How did Victorians stop their moustaches getting wet while swilling tea? #shorts

Obviously you'd use a teacup with a moustache guard. Victorian [...]

How do you get the bearded Victorian look if you can't grow a beard? #shorts

Well, you could have resorted to a beard wig attached with mechanical [...]

Q. Why were Victorian-era moustaches so big and bushy? #shorts

A. The bigger and bushier the moustache, the more effective they’d be [...]

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