Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow Library and Archives

The College Library's collection of printed books has been built up over the past three hundred years. The Library was started in 1698 immediately after the erection of the first Faculty Hall and in 1734, John Paisley, Surgeon, was elected "Collector and Bibliothecarius".

The collection spans the 15th to the 20th Centuries, and includes many of the key medical, anatomical and surgical texts of the 16th and 17th Centuries, being particularly strong in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, botany and materia medica in the 18th, 19th and early 20th Centuries.

The Library also has a long tradition of adding works relating to the history of Glasgow and the West of Scotland, particularly the areas over which the College held jurisdiction by virtue of its charter, granted by James VI in 1599. These include Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and parts of Lanarkshire. This has resulted in a fine collection of works pertaining to this area. The College Library also houses the Library of Dr William Mackenzie, founder of the Glasgow Eye Infirmary, and, as a consequence has good holdings in historical material relating to the diseases and surgery of the eye.

The archives of the College date from the early 17th Century with the first minute book of 1602. The minute books run consecutively from then until the present day with just one book absent, 1688-1733, which was lost in a fire. The majority of the material dates from the 19th and 20th Centuries and includes that relating to the administrative body of the College - examination registers; College committees; records pertaining to property etc - and deposited collections such as papers belonging to Fellows and Members; surgical, medical and dental records connected to the College and records of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Medical Societies. Of particular interest are the papers of Sir William Macewen, Joseph Lord Lister and Sir Ronald Ross. Additionally, there is a large collection of photographs, from portraits of many 19th Century Fellows and Members to photographs covering more recent events.

The instrument collection dates from the 18th to the 20th Centuries and include the surgical kit of Sir William Beatty, the osteotomes of Sir William Macewen and the early x-ray tubes of John Macintyre. The archive is not a static entity and is being added to regularly so that the history and events of the College are preserved for future generations.

Collection details

World Cultures, Social History, Science and Technology, Natural Sciences, Medicine, Archives

Key artists and exhibits

• Dental archives
• Medical and surgical instruments
• Key medical, anatomical and surgical texts of the 16th and 17th Centuries
• Dr William Mackenzie, founder of the Glasgow Eye Infirmary
• Joseph Lord Lister
• Sir Ronald Ross
• Sir William Beatty