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The main press release for
the launch of Wellcome Collection is below.
You can download the entire press pack via
the links below. All documents are in PDF
format.
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Wellcome
Collection, A World First, Opened
By World-Famous Scientist
… Antony Gormley - Nelson's razor
- Marc Quinn - printout of the human
genome - Andy Warhol - Egyptian Book
of the Dead - Leonardo da Vinci drawings
- used guillotine blade - live heart
surgery - Charles Darwin's walking
stick - giant jelly baby - 60 amputation
saws…
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20 June 2007: Wellcome
Collection, the new £30 million visitor
attraction from the Wellcome Trust, was
opened today by Nobel Prize winner Professor
James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure
of DNA and Stephen Fry at an evening gala
reception.
Wellcome Collection opens to the public
on June 21. Admission is free.
Wellcome Collection is a world first. It
combines three contemporary galleries together
with the world-famous Wellcome Library,
public events forum, café, bookshop,
conference centre and members' club, to
provide visitors with radical insight into
the human condition.
Wellcome Collection builds on the vision,
legacy and personal collection of Wellcome
Trust founder Sir Henry Wellcome, and is
part of the Trust's mission to foster understanding
and promote research to improve human and
animal health.
The nine-storey building houses more than
1300 exhibits across three galleries. Bringing
together the worlds of art, science and
history they range from the bizarre to the
beautiful, the ancient to the futuristic.
Examples include work by artists such as
Gormley, da Vinci, Warhol, Marc Quinn,
John Isaacs, Christine Borland and Martin
Parr, as well as Aztec sacrificial knives,
19th-century sex aids, amputation saws,
Nelson's razor and a DNA-sequencing robot.
The galleries Medicine Man, Medicine
Now and 'special exhibitions' space display
exhibits in contemporary ways to challenge
and inspire visitors to contemplate issues
of human wellbeing, health and identity
through the ages. The opening special exhibition
is The Heart.
Wellcome Collection is the transformation
of the Wellcome Building, the former headquarters
of the Wellcome Trust, at 183 Euston Road,
built in 1932 to the specification of Sir
Henry Solomon Wellcome (1853-1936).
Wellcome was a pharmacist, entrepreneur,
philanthropist and collector. His passionate
interest in medicine and its history, as
well as ethnography and archaeology, led
him to gather more than one million objects
from across the world. His original vision
was to create a 'Museum of Man' at 183 Euston
Road to display his collection.
Wellcome Collection builds on Sir
Henry's vision and provides contemporary
space to explore human wellbeing through
the combination of medicine, life and art.
 Click
here to see three example exhibits that
illustrate the concept of combing medicine
life and art
Wellcome Collection, total size 16 000 m2,
is centred around on substantial galleries
totalling 1350 m2:
Special
exhibitions (650 m2)
The largest gallery in Wellcome Collection
will be used to host temporary exhibitions,
presenting newly commissioned works and
thematic shows structured around topics
of medical, cultural and ethical significance.
The opening exhibition is:
The
Heart
(21 June-16 September 2007)
An exhibition exploring the medical
and cultural significance of the heart,
featuring exhibits from Leonardo
da Vinci and Andy Warhol,
through to the Egyptian Book of the
Dead and live heart surgery.
The Heart brings together contemporary
and historic artefacts from across the
world to form an exhibition that traces
the history of |
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of the heart and examines its extraordinary
symbolic and cultural significance.
The exhibition includes a rich selection
of Christian Sacred Heart imagery,
including paintings from Mexico never
seen before in Europe. It also incorporates
a wall of animal hearts - from a 1.75
m whale heart to a 2.5 cm ray heart
- and shows how recent imaging techniques
can reveal the heart's most intimate
workings. |
The first interactive broadcast of
a UK hospital operation to a public audience
will take place in support of The Heart
exhibition. Full details below in
public events.
New book: The Heart
To coincide with this pioneering exhibition,
the Wellcome Trust and Yale University Press
have published The Heart,
a richly illustrated 250-page hardback book
of nine essays and eight interviews exploring
the medical and cultural importance of the
heart. Writers include Jonathan Miller,
Louisa Young and Michael Bracewell.
Full details on The Heart are in the
press pack.
Download
further information on The Heart here
Medicine
Man (350 m2)
The exhibition contains more than 500
strange and beautiful artefacts from
Sir Henry Wellcome's original collection,
presented in a rich American walnut-panelled
gallery, centred on a large 'Wunderkammer'
cabinet. Some exhibits are displayed
for their historical significance, e.g.
a lock of George III's hair (found
to have traces of arsenic, an 18th-century |
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treatment for madness),
while others, such as a brass corset
and an iron chastity belt, illustrate
our fascination with the body and desire
to have control over it. Other objects,
such as an early 20th-century infant
ID kit and a selection of amulets
from the Hildburgh Collection,
are presented individually and examined
through audio by commentators from different
backgrounds, to show that one object
can mean many different things and tell
many different stories.
Download
further information on Medicine Man
here |
Medicine
Now (350 m2)
Medicine Now explores contemporary medical
topics through the eyes of scientists,
artists and popular culture in a bright
contemporary environment. Art is clearly
separated from the scientific exhibits
in large red art cubes; galleries inside
the gallery. Medicine Now focuses on
a few select themes: Genomes, The
Body, Malaria, Obesity and |
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The Experience of Medicine.
Work by contemporary artists such as
John Issacs, Luke Jerram, William
Cobbing and Julie Cockburn
is displayed. The first printout
of the human genome to be presented
as a series of books is included in
the exhibition. The 3.4 billion units
of DNA code translate into over a hundred
volumes, each a thousand pages long,
in type so small that it is barely legible.
Two new interactive exhibits
have been developed specially for the
exhibition. One creates a beautifully
rendered 'Bio-ID' for each visitor,
showing the ways in which biometric
data can be collected and used. The
other combines a visitor's face with
others in similar demographic groups,
to see how, for example, a smoker's
face differs from that of a non-smoker.
Download
further information on Medicine Now
here
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Satellite exhibits
Artwork and artefacts are located around
the building either individually or in themed
clusters and provide a 'fourth gallery'.
Works by artists such as Spencer Tunick,
Mauro Perucchetti, Anthony Gormley and
Marc Quinn are displayed around the
building.
Public events
A lively programme of public events will
expand on exhibition themes. Wellcome Collection's
flexible events space, the Forum, will bring
audiences face-to-face with prominent experts
and personalities from the worlds of art,
science and the humanities, to explore current
issues and ancient mysteries of human wellbeing.
There are ten events from launch until September
2007. Two examples are:
'Live Surgery', 5 July, 19.00.
The first interactive broadcast of a
UK hospital operation to a public audience
will take place in support of The Heart
exhibition. Heart surgeon Francis Wells
and his team at Papworth Hospital will perform
a complex reconstruction of a heart valve.
The audience at Wellcome Collection will
be able to speak to Francis as he operates
and handle some of the equipment used in
the operation with help. The audience will
have the opportunity to inspect and handle
some of the equipment used in the operation
with help from members of the Papworth medical
team. The audience will also be able to
learn more about the patient and the impact
the surgery will have on their life, and
why preserving the natural heart valve,
rather than replacing it with an artificial
valve, allows the heart to function more
efficiently.
A Modern Miracle, 26 July, 19.00
- 20.30
A discussion that uncovers the myths and
realities of heart transplants. How does
one determine death? Why is there an unwillingness
to donate live-saving organs? How does it
feel to receive someone else's heart? Join
our guests (a surgeon, a psychologist and
a transplant recipient) to discuss the myths
and realities of heart transplants, possible
solutions to the donation crisis and the
emotional impact of heart transplants on
donor families and recipients.
Download a list of the forthcoming public
events here
Wellcome Library
The Wellcome Library contains over two million
items and is one of the world's greatest
collections for the study of the history
and progress of medicine. The public areas
of the Library span two floors and include
the fully restored Reading Room, first used
as a Hall of Statuary by Sir Henry Wellcome
in 1932.
The Library contains 750 000 books, a film
and audio collection of 2500 titles, 600
archival collections, 70 000 rare books
(published before 1850), and more than 250
000 paintings, prints and photographs. Artefacts
range from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493),
a book depicting the history of the world
with 800 woodcut illustrations, to fragments
of Books of the Dead from ancient Egypt,
to 21st-century born-digital biomedical
archives.
The Wellcome Library's entire collection,
laid end to end, would cover a distance
of over 18 km - equivalent to 187 times
the height of Big Ben.
New for Wellcome Collection, the Wellcome
Library has announced:
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New book: Cures
and Curiosities: Inside the Wellcome
Library has been published by
Profile Books. The book illustrates
the diversity of the Library's collection
with over 150 photographs and personal
observations from some of the authors
who have used the Library, including
Kathryn Hughes, Philip Hoare
and Gillian Tindall. The book
has been edited by Anthony Gould,
with a foreword by Sebastian Faulks. |
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Uncover: A new
touch-screen installation that allows
visitors to browse some of the Library's
most prized and interesting holdings.
Visitors can create their own exhibition,
go on a tour of the collections, and
magnify, rotate and find out more about
each item. |
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Wellcome Images:
A collection of 200 000 images depicting
medical and social history, as well
as contemporary healthcare and biomedical
science, can be downloaded for use and
re-use under a Creative Commons licence
for non-commercial use. http://images.wellcome.ac.uk.
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Download
further information on Wellcome Library
here
Dr Mark Walport, Director, the Wellcome
Trust, said: "Health, wellbeing
and disease are central concerns to every
one of us. Wellcome Collection provides
a wonderful opportunity for the Wellcome
Trust to entertain, challenge and debate
health issues with the public. We will use
the extraordinary artefacts collected by
Sir Henry Wellcome, augmented by our contemporary
collections, extraordinary library and scientific
archives to bring to life a wide range of
themes relating to health, wellbeing and
disease. We invite people to become active
participants in Wellcome Collection."
Clare Matterson, Director, Medicine,
Society and History, the Wellcome Trust,
said: "The Wellcome Trust understands
the power of using the arts to engage audiences
around issues of human health. Since 2002
we have awarded £5.5 million to original
and imaginative arts projects inspired by
biomedical science. Wellcome Collection
combines our experiences with the vision
and legacy of Sir Henry Wellcome to provide
a contemporary space that enables people
to explore the connections between art and
medicine in dramatic and challenging ways."
Professor James Watson said:
'Where else can you browse the more than
three billion letters of the human genome,
see one of the robots that helped to sequence
it and contemplate the reactions of contemporary
artists to this major scientific development?
In the pioneering Wellcome Collection -
how wonderful!'
Stephen Fry, actor, writer, comedian,
filmmaker and co-host of Wellcome Collection's
opening gala on the evening of June 20,
with Professor James Watson said: "One
of the most remarkable collections of medical
and physiological items ever assembled is
united with three intelligent, inspiring
and intriguing exhibitions to make as compelling
a visit as London has to offer. You'd be
sorry to miss it."
Wellcome Collection
also houses:
Members' club
Wellcome Collection's Club is a place where
art meets science and medicine meets anthropology.
With an introductory offer of a year's membership
for £45 (£28 concessions), the
Club provides members with benefits across
Wellcome Collection, including access to
a private Club Room designed by Ilse
Crawford. The room encapsulates the
spirit of innocent invention with a sense
of humour and a celebration of the eccentricities
of science. Furniture by Achille Castiglioni,
Eileen Gray, Ingo Maurer and Jean
Prouve joins flying lightbulbs, snaking
bookshelves and a giant creeping sofa to
create a Club Room unlike any other.
Download further Members' Club and Clubroom
information here
Peyton and Byrne café
Peyton and Byrne's acclaimed British bakery
is on offer at Wellcome Collection, providing
a relaxing space for visitors and passers-by
in search of great British food and refreshments.
Peyton and Byrne is also responsible for
cafés in the National Gallery, the
Wallace Collection and Heal's.
Blackwell bookshop
Located on Wellcome Collection's ground
floor, the 230 m2 bookshop is an academic
centre of excellence for the Blackwell chain.
It combines a broad range of titles covering
specialist areas of medicine, science, art
and history as well as gifts from the Wellcome
Collection range.
Conference Centre
The Conference Centre provides a stimulating
setting for corporate and private events,
comprising a 154-seat auditorium, four meeting
rooms, open breakout spaces and state-of-the-art
technology all set against a vibrant backdrop
of artwork and exhibits.
Download further information on Centre
here
The Wellcome Trust Centre for
the History of Medicine at UCL
The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History
of Medicine at UCL occupies the upper two
floors of Wellcome Collection. The Centre's
historians are ideally placed to access
the Wellcome Library and exhibitions, and
contribute towards the public events programme.
Past exhibitions
During the past decade the Wellcome Trust
has organised more than 20 exhibitions covering
a vast range of biomedical topics, from
jellyfish to autism, metamorphosis to pain.
In 2003, Medicine Man at the British
Museum (a showcase of roughly 700 objects
from Sir Henry Wellcome's original collection)
attracted 200 000 visits. Between 2002 and
2005 the Trust presented a series of five
major exhibitions at the Science Museum,
culminating with Future Face in late
2004, which attracted 120 000 visits. The
Trust also hosted numerous exhibitions in
its TwoTen Gallery and funded major projects
such as the Wellcome Trust Gallery (home
to the Living and Dying exhibition)
at the British Museum.
Architectural transformation
of 183 Euston Road
Hopkins Architects has remodelled 183 Euston
Road to create Wellcome Collection. Sir
Henry Wellcome specified that the building
should include a sculpture court and majestic
galleries. Wellcome Collection reflects
his vision and the ideas of education and
exploration. The transformed building is
a light, modern, airy and contemporary space
while also linking back to the original
architecture and design. The ground-floor
windows have been enlarged to better connect
the inside of the building to the outside;
passers-by can gaze into the gallery and
café areas. The entrance has been
modified to allow wheelchair access. Materials
used in the building include limestone and
maple flooring, marble, maple and American
walnut walls, steel and glass. Three galleries
span two floors and provide a modern yet
largely neutral space to enable the artwork
and collections to be presented to best
effect. The Wellcome Trust headquarters
at 215 Euston Road was also designed by
Hopkins Architects and completed in 2004.
Wellcome Collection forms an integral part
of a new cultural quarter emerging in north
London around Euston and King's Cross. Wellcome
Collection is close to UCL, Birkbeck College,
SOAS, the British Library and the British
Museum. The redevelopment of King's Cross
and the arrival of the Eurostar provide
an exciting new commuter, commercial and
creative hub.
Download detailed information on the
history of the building and its
 transormation
here
Download full design credits here
Wellcome Collection
opening hours
| Monday |
10.00-18.00 (galleries
closed, except bank holidays) |
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| Tuesday |
10.00-18.00 (Library until
20.00) |
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| Wednesday |
10.00-18.00 |
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| Thursday |
10.00-22.00 (Library until
20.00) |
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| Friday |
10.00-18.00 |
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| Saturday |
10.00-18.00 (Library until
16.00) |
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| Sunday |
11.00-18.00 (Library closed) |
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| Closed |
24-26 December |
Tours:
From July 14 there will be a 30-minute exhibition
tour every Saturday at 14.30. Full details
about these and numerous other tours are
available in the
press pack.
Public information
contact details
Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE
T +44 (0)20 7611 2222
E info@wellcomecollection.org
www.wellcomecollection.org
Download
full information on Wellcome Collection's
opening times,
tours
and transport solutions
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Press information
and images
Wellcome Collection
Kallaway Media Centre and press images:
www.kallaway.co.uk/wellcome.htm
Press contacts
Will Kallaway
T +44 (0)20 7221 7883
E will.kallaway@kallaway.co.uk
Anna Cusden
T +44 (0)20 7221 7883
E anna.cusden@kallaway.co.uk
Wellcome Trust
Media centre: www.wellcome.ac.uk/aboutus/mediaoffice
Press contacts:
Katrina Nevin-Ridley
T +44 (0)20 7611 8540
E k.nevin-ridley@wellcome.ac.uk
Craig Brierley
T +44 (0)20 7611 7329
E c.brierley@wellcome.ac.uk
Mike Findlay
T +44 (0)20 7611 8612
E m.findlay@wellcome.ac.uk
About the Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity
in the UK and the second largest medical
research charity in the world. It funds
innovative biomedical research, in the UK
and internationally, spending around £500
million each year to support the brightest
scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome
Trust supports public debate about biomedical
research and its impact on health and wellbeing.
Wellcome Trust funding has supported a number
of major successes, including
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sequencing the human genome |
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establishing the UK Biobank |
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development of the antimalarial
drug artemisinin |
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pioneering cognitive behavioural
therapies for psychological disorders |
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building the Wellcome
Wing at the Science Museum |
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the Wellcome Trust Case
Control Consortium, the largest ever
genetic
study of common diseases such as diabetes,
coronary heart disease
and bipolar disorder |
The Wellcome Trust is a charity registered
in England, no. 210183.
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