RCSI Heritage Collections

RCSI Heritage Collections marked the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ by closely looking at the 12 images depicted in our George Walsh stained glass windows, found in the Albert Theatre at 123 St Stephen's Green.  George Walsh apprenticed under his father, who had studied under Harry Clarke, and so our windows follow in a Dublin stained glass tradition. Each image depicts a significant person, event or invention that changed the world of healthcare. Each day, we posted an image and a fact on our Twitter and Facebook accounts. Below, we elaborate a little on those images. On the first day of Christmas...   Imhotep 2850 BC Did you know that ancient Egyptians were practicing a recognisable form of pharmacy and medicine as early as 1500 BC? The first day's stained glass feature depicts the Egyptian God ‘IMHOTEP’, deified approximately 2850 BC, known as the Ancient Father of Medicine. In Egyptian society during the Old Kingdom, the nation’s physician and Pharaoh’s magician appe...

In these dark, damp and deeply cold evenings it is nice to gaze at a beautifully crafted stained glass window with its magnificent array of colours. And what better way to to do so then while keeping warm indoors! The RCSI is very fortunate to have a number of stained glass windows in it's historic building on Stephens Green. Two of which come from the internationally revered and highly sought after Harry Clarke Studios. Harry Clarke took over his father's stained glass studios in Dublin in 1921 and soon became synonymous with unique and exceptionally crafted stained glass. Despite his untimely death in January 1931, the Harry Clarke Studios continued to produce stunning pieces of art for all over the world. In 1930 Terence Clarke, a nephew of Harry, entered the family studios as an apprentice quickly learning and honing his skill as a stained glass artist.     Detail of 'Mother and Child' stained glass panel in the RCSI Chapel of Meditation  Terence Cla...