Feb. 21, 2013
Civil War medicine exhibit on display at OSU-CHS
The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Medical Library is hosting the National Library of Medicine's traveling exhibit, Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries: African-Americans in Civil War Medicine in Founders Hall through March 20.
The travelling exhibit recognizes the contribution of African-Americans as nurses, surgeons and hospital workers during the American Civil War. Many histories have been written about medical care during this war, but the participation and contributions of African-Americans have often been overlooked.
"The exhibit highlights the experiences of men and women whose efforts to provide medical care to soldiers and civilians are not well-known," said Melissa Kash-Holley, reference and instruction services librarian at the OSU-CHS. "As healers and caretakers, the individuals highlighted in this exhibit pushed past the bounds of race and gender and left an indelible mark on American history."
The exhibit opens the door to this rarely studied part of history and brings a voice to those that have remained silent for nearly 150 years. Through historical images and period documents, the exhibit displays the work of African-Americans as medical providers and how they challenged the prescribed notions of race and gender.
This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine with research assistance from The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/bindingwounds/index.html.
