Virtual Talk from the Florence Nightingale Museum

Claire, a member of The Coalition has very kindly written up about our virtual talk from the Florence Nightingale Museum.

On Monday 16th October 2023, the Coalition virtually visited the Florence Nightingale Museum at the 11 o’clock cafe we had an excellent talk by Laura from the Florence Nightingale museum in London.

Florence was born on the 15th of May 1820 in Florence Italy hence her name and she died at the age of 90 in Mayfair London on the 13th of August 1910. She was a clever lady from a wealthy family and had a sister Francis Parthenope, named after the Parthenon in Greece where she was born. Florence found the lessons by her governess did not sustain her appetite for learning, she read many books in her childhood and travelled a great deal. When she decided to become a nurse her Family were shocked, at the time the nursing profession was seen as a derisory occupation.

Florence spent three months of tuition in Germany to become a nurse. In October 1854 she left with 38 nurses (nuns) to help in the Crimean War where she completely changed the hospital, sanitising, literally made beds and even gave the men a pet tortoise, named Timmy. Laura explained his remains are in the museum along with Florence’s pet owl. 

She had four proposals of marriage, her sister married one of the gentlemen but had no children to continue the Nightingale name, Florence didn’t want to marry because she would not be able to work if married.

After the war she became very ill and for 12 years used a wheelchair which the museum have, made from a favourite dining room chair on wheels! Florence spent this time writing and because of her change to the hospital in Scutari, where she saved thousands of lives due to cleanliness and fresh air she became a very famous Victorian Lady. The Nightingale Fund opened a school to teach nurses in St Thomas’s Hospital, where the museum is located, now at Kings College London.

Her nick name the “lady of the lamp” came from the fact she would visit the wards at night, unfortunately the drawings at the time depicted an oil lamp when in fact it was a lamp containing a candle, Laura at the museum showed us the original. 

Florence Nightingale didn’t want any fuss at her funeral. She is interred in the graveyard at St Margaret’s Church East Wellow Hampshire. 

This was an interesting talk and the museum in St Thomas’s London is Wheelchair accessible. For more information, please visit: Home – Florence Nightingale Museum London (florence-nightingale.co.uk)

The recording of the virtual talk is available via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn4Jp469kK0