Health Center to house Hartford Medical Society’s historical collection

The Hartford Medical Society will move its historical medical library and many of its artifacts to the UConn Health Center next spring.

The two parties have finalized an agreement under which the Health Center will provide about 2,500 square feet of space adjacent to the Lyman Maynard Stowe Library.

The Society is relocating from Scarborough Street in Hartford’s West End, its location since 1956.

“The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library welcomes the addition of this historic collection of medical books, journals, and artifacts to our campus,” says library director Evelyn Morgen.

“Because we are a relatively young medical school, the Hartford Medical Society will add depth and gravitas to the resources available to our faculty, to our students, and to scholars who visit our campus.”

The Society will retain ownership of its collection. When they’re cataloged, the assets will retain their Society identification.

The materials include manuscripts dating to the 17th century, account books of 19th-century physicians, journals from their first volumes, and records of the experiments of 19th-century Hartford dentist Horace Wells, who is credited with the discovery of surgical anesthesia.

“For some time, the Hartford Medical Society has felt the need for a greater exposure of its invaluable library and museum collection to both the academic community and the general public,” says Dr. Bradford Blanchard, president of the Society.

“Fortunately, the historical thrust of our collections is very compatible with UConn’s commitment to the history of medicine and to the humanities in medicine. Therefore, housing our collections at the UConn Health Center, with its academic environment and sophisticated information technology, is a natural fit.”