Collection: Sickness and Health

This selection of objects provides an opportunity to delve into the history of health in Amersham, from both a patients and practitioners perspectives. Highlights from this collection include a detailed notebook created in the 1900s by Haddons the chemist, containing a huge range of recipes and notes and a brown leather medicine chest with tiny glass bottles. From these rare survivals we can build a picture of what local people might have experienced when visiting a pharmacy in years gone by.
Explore how the magnificent Grade I listed Shardeloes, requisitioned during the Second World War, became a maternity hospital and take a closer look at the birth certificate of one of more than 5,000 babies born there at this time. Delve into the life of Car Richardson, whose remarkable legacy includes prolific work as a war artist, with depictions of the maternity unit at Shardeloes amongst her paintings and sketches. Richardson’s Red Cross medal was awarded in recognition of her exceptional service to nursing in which she was active in both the First and Second World Wars.

Showing 12 objects