The Hunterian Museum, founded by the pioneer of scientific
surgery John Hunter, has occupied part of the Royal College of Surgeons,
London, from the early 19th century. At the centre of the £3.2m
refurbishment, the ‘Crystal Gallery', a 6m high atrium of all-glass
cases with 3,000 objects, is fibreoptic lit throughout, driven by over
100 light projectors. Further display areas trace the history of surgery from the 17th century to today, comprising a total of 50 or so object-rich showcases.
There is a flexible-use exhibitions gallery, and a study room featuring
a microscope workbench, object displays and pull-out drawers. Visitors
can view WW1 plastic surgery in stereo viewers, and try their hands at
keyhole surgery. Computers are available at consoles around the Museum,
as well as a push-button video screen. For a 360 degree virtual tour of
the galleries, see www.rcseng.ac.uk/about/virtual_tours/museum.html
