The Elmhurst History Museum has launched a new exhibit titled Anatomy of Healthcare: DuPage County Medical History to commemorate the centennial of Elmhurst Hospital. This exhibit, which runs from January 23 to May 3, 2024, explores the evolution of healthcare in DuPage County and the hospital’s integral role in the community.
Curator of Exhibits, Sarah Cox, aimed to create a broader narrative that goes beyond the hospital itself. “I knew I didn’t want to do an exhibition just about the hospital but how our community started in healthcare, how the hospital came to be, and where we’re going,” Cox explained. She emphasized the significance of the region’s development in healthcare over the past century.
The museum will kick off the exhibit with an “Elmhurst Gives Back Blood Drive” on January 24, 2024, from 10:00 to 15:00 on a mobile donor bus provided by Vitalant. While walk-ins are welcome, prospective donors are encouraged to register online at bit.ly/EHMblooddrive.
Cox dedicated a year to researching and organizing the exhibit, which included fabricating display pieces, securing artifacts, and installing the exhibition. “I looked at our current healthcare landscape and then traced back to what it was like in 1850,” she stated. Through her research, Cox identified key changes and the pioneers who shaped healthcare in the area.
Utilizing first-person accounts and primary sources, she examined doctors’ notebooks and journals from the museum’s archives. “One surprising thing I discovered was that train accidents were the second-biggest cause of death, despite the impact of diseases like influenza,” she noted. The exhibit features various artifacts, including historical medical instruments, original documentation from the establishment of Elmhurst Hospital, and nurses’ uniforms from different eras.
A dedicated Kids’ Clinic within the exhibit offers children hands-on experiences, allowing them to dress up as medical professionals and treat dolls or teddy bears.
Several events are planned in conjunction with the exhibit. On February 8, curator Dan Lund will discuss nature treatments at the Lindlahr Sanitarium. A gallery talk by Cox will take place on February 22, offering insights into the exhibit’s creation. Other events include a presentation on Civil War medicine by Doug Dammann on March 5, a bus tour to the International Museum of Surgical Science on March 18, and a film screening of Patch Adams on April 10 at the Elmhurst Public Library.
For more information about the exhibit and related events, visit elmhursthistory.org/programs-and-events. The Elmhurst History Museum continues to play a vital role in preserving and sharing the rich heritage of healthcare in the community.
