Maude Abbott et le musée médical

Maude Abbott and the Medical Museum

Call for papers

McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

October 15-16, 2020

Maude Abbott is a world-famous Canadian physician best known for her work on congenital heart anomalies. Her Atlas of Congenital Heart Disease(1936) laid the foundation for many medical innovations and contributions to our understanding of congenital cardiac disease. She was also important in the development of medical museums, acting as cofounder of the International Association of Medical Museums in 1907 and serving as Director of McGill University’s medical museum during its golden age from 1898 to 1923. As such, she established McGill as an important node in the global network of medical museums. The Maude Abbott Medical Museum https://www.mcgill.ca/medicalmuseum/ showcases her collections for students and visitors from around the world.

A day-long seminar (October 16, 2020) aims to bring together individuals who have investigated or are investigating the life and work of Maude Abbott. We are interested in research from a variety of disciplines and topics, such as Abbott’s medical innovations, museology experience, publications, teaching, role as a pioneering female doctor, relationships with other figures, and Abbott as a subject of portraiture and world traveller. We are also interested in discussions related to the role of the medical/science museum in the university today.

The event will open the evening of October 15, 2020 with a lecture by Dr. Sam Alberti (Keeper of Science and Technology for National Museums Scotland) on the history and current relevance of museums in the university setting (Andrew F. Holmes Dean of Medicine Distinguished Lecturer in conjunction with McGill University’s bi-centennial celebrations). October 16, 2020 will be a day of participant talks and discussions, with an opportunity to visit the Maude Abbott Medical Museum and see its renowned specimens.

Please submit an abstract of 250 words (related to a 20 minute talk) and a short CV to medicalmuseum.med@mcgill.ca by November 30, 2019. Acceptance notifications will be issued by December 20, 2019.

For more information or other questions, please contact:

Professor Annmarie Adams at annmarie.adams@mcgill.ca

(514) 398-2915

Richard Fraser at richard.fraser@mcgill.ca