Archives and History

Delaware Academy of Medicine Archives – 2021 Report

Sharon Folkenroth Hess, M.A., Collections Manager

IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE ARCHIVES

Since the onset of the pandemic, Academy/DPHA employees transitioned to working remotely with little disruption The Archives, however, were closed to both employees and the public Though the Archives reopened in spring 2021, the ChrisitanaCare campus halts non-essential visitation during periods of increased COVID-19 hospitalizations Ongoing and frequent outbreaks rendered the collections and exhibits nearly inaccessible to the public Unfortunately, global health crises are when historical research and perspectives on medical science and public health are needed most The documents and objects within the Archives provide the essential social and cultural context to understand the complex and often disparate responses to the pandemic amongst Delaware’s population To continue our vital mission to share the history of healthcare and medical science in Delaware, the Archives has committed to digitizing all objects, art, and archival collections and creating an online museum by 2023 Work on the project began in January 2021 This project is divided into two distinct phases: stewardship and public access In November 2021, the Archives applied for and received additional funding from the Delaware Humanities’ ARP RECOVER/RENEW Grant The $11,000 received from the grant will cover staff hours needed to complete the first phase of digitization Phase one is expected to finish in December 2022

Figure 1: from the recently photographed Homeopathy Collection

KIOSK

In 2020, the “Wall of Presidents” in the Ammon Center was removed and placed into storage in the Archives That fall, preparations began for putting an interactive touch screen kiosk in the Ammon Center to display the portraits and provide an additional medium for public education and engagement Once the Academy purchased the display software in December, the Archives began to design the digital exhibits The three presentations on the kiosk include a history of the Delaware Academy of Medicine/Delaware Public Health Association and our mission and programming; a timeline of the history of public health and medicine in Delaware; and biographical sketches of the Academy’s presidents (see image) In fall 2021, a history of the ChristianaCare medical libraries was added once it was determined that the Lewis B Flinn Library would house the kiosk near the Archives’ display cases Though initially projected to be a multi-year endeavor, the kiosk exhibits debuted at the Annual Meeting in June 2021 Modified versions of the presentations are available on the www delamed org site

Figure 2: Biographical sketches featured on the new kiosk

DELAMED.ORG

In early 2021, the online finding aids were condensed and edited for more straightforward navigation Since spring 2021, the Archives has seen a threefold increase in research inquiries The Archives added a new page to the website in April under the “Archives and Collections” tab It features essays on local history topics, showcases objects from the collection, and provides a space for digital versions of the physical exhibitions As of 2022, there are 13 articles available and a timeline of medicine and public health in Delaware An online museum portal will replace this page in 2023

Figure 3: From the Archives: The Healing Arts in History

Funding has been provided from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and Delaware Humanities as part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.

NEW ACQUISITIONS

In February and November 2021, the Archives received two donated collections: the Nancy E (Johnson) Smith Collection (see Figure 4) and the Smith Pharmacy Collection The first contains photographs, yearbooks, documents, and nursing ephemera from the nurse and life-long Delaware native Nancy E Smith Her husband, Thomas Smith, owned and was the pharmacist of Smith Pharmacy in Claymont from the 1960s through the early 2000s His father founded the pharmacy Smith & Strevig drugstore in 1917 with a partner The Smith Pharmacy collection consists of three main elements: artifacts preserved from the original Smith and Strevig store including chemistry show globes, pharmacy scale (see Figure 5), and pill roller; tools of the trade used by Tom Smith in his business; and promotional items such as mortars and pestles, Delft pill tiles, and coffee mugs bearing the trade names of particular drug products

Figure 4: The Nancy (Johnson) Smith Collection