Photographs

This collection documents the history of the Boston City Hospital from 1864-1996. Parts of this collection were originally in the custody of the Boston City Hospital Library. The collection includes Board of Trustees minutes and records; published reports of the hospital; administrative files of the hospital and of the library; financial records of the hospital; historical files and news clippings compiled by the library over time; holdings of the library including medical texts dating back to the late 1700s; medical reprints of articles by many of the physicians employed at Boston City Hospital; an extensive photograph collection documenting the hospital and its staff; and a small collection of medical instruments. The collection also includes information on and yearbooks of the Boston City Hospital Training School for Nurses. A sampling of medical records are included, however these records are restricted. The collection also includes correspondence, etc. relating to the Cocoanut Grove Fire in 1942. The City Hospital treated many of the patients injured in the fire.

The collection has been arranged into nine series: Board of Trustees records; Published reports; Records; Financial records; Medical Library holdings; School of Nursing records; Photographs; Memorabilia; and Objects. Some files may be restricted due to private medical information. Please consult with archivist concerning restrictions. At the time of the merger of Boston City Hospital and the Boston University Medical Center, the BCH Library was transferred to the Boston Public Library where it remained until it was transferred to the City Archives in 2014. The City Archives merged this collection with Board of Trustees records that had been previously transferred to the City Archives from the Public Health Commission.