Blogs

Illustration of the head of an orangutan, which looks very human in appearance.

‘The best description of the Oran Ooutan’: Daniel Beeckman’s Voyage to Borneo

Daniel Beeckman’s A voyage to and from the island of Borneo in the East-Indies (1718) reveals how natural history, British colonialism and medical institutions were intertwined in the 18th century, as well as having a direct connection to George Edwards, an important figure in RCP history and the earliest European depiction of an orangutan. The heritage library purchased the book in 2023 through generous support from the ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of the National Libraries.

Indexing the RCP annals

‘He marvelled how the president could be so saucy’: index to the RCP’s first century of Comitia meetings now available

Fortitude launches

On 26 September the RCP Museum launched Fortitude, a new exhibition which shares the experiences of healthcare professionals who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarah Backhouse