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Collection NigF : Florence Nightingale Collection

Description

Key

28925

Reference Code Element

NigF

Dates

1854-1992

Extent

2 cubic feet (5 boxes)

Creator

Personal name, Nightingale, Florence, 1820-1910

Administrative/Biographical History

Florence Nightingale was a white English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. She was born on May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy to an affluent English family. Rather than assuming the expected role of an upper class English woman, Nightingale felt called to be a nurse. In 1850 she visited the Lutheran religious community of Kaiserswerth in Germany where she observed the work of the deaconesses in caring for the sick. Nightingale gained acclaim during the Crimean War where she earned the nickname "The Lady with the Lamp" for her efforts to improve sanitation and the hygienic conditions of British soldiers. In 1859 she published "Notes on Nursing," and in 1860 she established the Nightingale Training School at St. Thomas Hospital in London to train nurses. She advocated for improved care and conditions in hospitals and for the professional training and status for nurses. As the founder of modern nursing, she influenced the establishment of nursing schools throughout Britain and North America. In 1875, Francis King, chair of the Johns Hopkins Hospital board of trustees, traveled to London to visit the nursing school at St. Thomas Hospital. While there, he conferred with Nightingale about planning the school of nursing at Johns Hopkins. Isabel Hampton Robb, the first Johns Hopkins Hospital Superintendent of Nurses and Principal of the Training School consulted with Nightingale about the nursing profession. Nightingale died in London in 1910 at the age of 90. In 1912, the International Committee of the Red Cross instituted the Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest award in international nursing. While she has been venerated as the founder of modern nursing, in the 21st century her legacy and writings have come under greater scrutiny for promoting British colonialism and for centering white nurses to the exclusion of other early nursing figures.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of materials related to Florence Nightingale which were given to the Johns Hopkins Nurses Historical Collection over the course of many years primarily by people associated with Johns Hopkins nursing.

Administration

Date(s) of Descriptions

2001, 2025

Processing Information

Described by Phoebe Evans Letocha in 2001, revised 2025

Accession

2008-131

2003-155

2003-021

2001-181

2001-095

2001-093

2001-087

2001-006

2000-126

1988-028

Custodial History

This collection consists of materials related to Florence Nightingale which were given to the Johns Hopkins Nursing Historical Collection over the course of many years primarily by people associated with Johns Hopkins nursing. Dr. Howard Kelly gave an album of Florence Nightingale letters and Nightingale's chair. Kelly also gave a collection of books, called the Nightingale Collection, which consisted of books by and about Nightingale, nursing and the history of women in general. The Nightingale book collection was housed in several locations over the years when additional books were included in the collection so that it no longer existed in its original form. Currently, any rare books once associated with the Nightingale book collection are housed at the Institute of the History of Medicine in the Welch Medical Library. Adelaide Nutting gave several Nightingale books and other items related to Nightingale. Other alumni gave materials including correspondence, both copies and originals. In 1893 Nightingale's cousin Sir Henry Bonham-Carter gave the statue of Florence Nightingale that is currently on display at Johns Hopkins University. The Isabel Hampton Robb papers contain the wedding bouquet and ribbon that Nightingale gave to Robb for her wedding. Dr. Lida O. Meredith gave Nightingale materials, including an edition of Notes on Nursing inscribed by Nightingale to the wife of Sidney Herbert. In 2023, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and Chesney Medical Archives donated the Florence Nightingale wheelchair to the Florence Nightingale Museum in London after concerns were raised about Florence Nightingale’s views on colonialism. The wheelchair is on display at the museum in the replica of her bedroom rejoining other items which belonged to her.

Composed Of

Found 10 record(s)

Reference Code and Titlesort by Reference Code and Title ascending	Key (Collection)sort by Key (Collection) ascending	Dates	Record Levelsort by Record Level ascending	Hierarchysort by Hierarchy ascending
1- Nightingale Records of Provenance	80974		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
2- Correspondence and Handwriting	80975		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
3- Publications by Florence Nightingale	80976		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
4- Publications about Florence Nightingale	80977		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
5- Commemorative Items related to Florence Nightingale	80978		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
6- Kaiserwerth Materials	80979		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
7- St. Thomas' Hospital Materials	80980		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
8, Box 4/1-4- Florence Nightingale Memorial Fund	80981	1969-1973	Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
9- Photographs, Illustrations, and Audio Visual Materials	80982		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection
10- Florence Nightingale Material Culture	80984		Series	CollectionNigF- Florence Nightingale Collection

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