Scope of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Archives
Our collection spans 180+ years of hospital history. Within, there are seven major sub-collections, each named for an originating hospital. Among the collections you may find things like:
- Historic photographs
- Annual reports
- Administrative correspondence
- Building specifications
- Artifacts and memorabilia
- Training program and fund raising records
- Serial and stand-alone publications
Except for a few photographs, the records do not include patient or research records.
Start Your Research with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Archives Here
Finding aids describe the physical content of the Archives. Look through them to target items in the box and folder lists that may be relevant to your research. Then schedule an appointment via email to have a hands-on look at the items you want. You will come to the Center for the History of Medicine in the Countway Library at 10 Shattuck Street, Boston MA.
Links to Brigham and Women’s Hospital Archives Finding Aids
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Records, 1913– (inclusive), 1980–2000 (bulk). [BWH c1]
- Affiliated Hospitals Center (Boston, Mass.) Records, 1966–1984. [BWH c2]
- Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. Records, 1830– (inclusive), 1911–1980 (bulk). [BWH c3]
- Robert B. Brigham Hospital. Records, 1889–1984 (inclusive), 1915–1980 (bulk). [BWH c4]
- Boston Hospital for Women. Records, 1926–1983 (inclusive), 1966–1979 (bulk). [BWH c5]
- Free Hospital for Women. Records, 1875–1975. [BWH c6]
- Boston Lying-in Hospital. Records, 1855–1986 (inclusive), 1921–1966 (bulk). [BWH c7]
The digitized content of the Archives is only a small fraction of the physical content. But, the digitized items are some of the most useful for researching people and events in BWH history. Our online resources include:
- Complete collections of hospital annual reports from 1875–1979
- Hospital newsletters from 1943–1999
- Free Hospital for Women Scrapbook (clippings, notes, and photographs) 1879–1952
- Many other important hospital-related publications.
Links to online resources
Annual Reports
- Peter Bent Brigham Hospital Annual Reports, 1913–1979
- Free Hospital for Women Annual Reports, 1875–1965
- Boston Lying-in Hospital, 1833, 1875–1965
- Boston Hospital for Women Annual Reports, 1966–1976
Hospital Newsletters, 1943–1999
- Brigham Bulletin, 7/1943–2/1977
- Inside AHC, 6/1978–6/1980 [Affiliated Hospitals Center, Inc.]
- Inside Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 7/1980–10/1983
- BWH: Inside Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 11/1983–3/1993
- BWH Bulletin, 4/1993–12/1999
Photographs and Clippings
Peter Bent Brigham Hospital School of Nursing Journals, 1920–1946
eBooks
- The Peter Bent Brigham Hospital School of Nursing, A History 1912–1985 by Marilyn King
- The Fabrick of Man, Fifty Years of the Peter Bent Brigham 1913–1963 by David McCord
- History of the Free Hospital for Women 1875–1975 by Elmer Osgood Cappers
- Safe Deliverance by Frederick C. Irving, M.D.
(A history of the Boston Lying-in Hospital published in 1942) - History of the Robert Breck Brigham Hospital for Incurables by Matthew H. Liang, MD
- A Quarter of a Century with the Free Hospital for Women
(A small picture book about the hospital, published in 1900.) - Routine Practices, Medical Service of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, 1940
(Written by 2nd Physician-in-Chief, Soma Weiss, as a guide to aid students, residents, and interns.) - 1912 Travels of the Medical Staff, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital
(Notes made by the first staff doctors during a trip to investigate European medical practice.)