The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons Collection and Archives chart the history and development of plastic surgery in the UK. The Collection contains artefacts and archive material of outstanding medical, historical and cultural significance relating to the British history of the specialty.
The Collection started life as an Archive conceived and run in the 1980s by Antony Wallace, one of the “Second generation” of plastic surgeons. He spent 15 years accumulating material and developing the archive. When he stepped down, it became known as the “Antony Wallace Archive”. Since then, it has continued to expand, changing its name in 2021 to “The BAPRAS Collection” to reflect it comprising both artefactual and archival material.
The BAPRAS Collection and Archives are an invaluable resource for research in many areas, such as the development of plastic surgery techniques, changes in medical equipment, World War history, modern warfare and its role in treatment, and physical disfigurement.
BAPRAS
The British Association Of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthsetic Surgeons is the voice of plastic surgery in the United Kingdom. It advances education and promotes the public understanding of all aspects of the specialty as it applies to contemporary surgical practice.
The "Four Greats": The orginal four British Plastic Surgeons
Collection Highlights
Surgical Artefacts
The Collection contains artefacts dating from the late 19th century and comprises a wide range of plastic surgery documenting over 100 years of plastic surgery procedures. Some instruments carry famous surgeons' initials, while others display advances in design. Notably, BAPRAS owns instruments once belonging to the German nasal surgeon Professor Jacques Joseph, a pioneer of cosmetic rhinoplasty, and Sir Harold Gillies, often thought of as a founding father of British Plastic Surgery. The Collection contains artefacts relating to prosthesis, as well as other medical apparatus.
Art Works
BAPRAS holds a large number of painted and drawn artworks depicting patients and surgical techniques by both surgeons and the pioneers of medical illustration, such as Diana “Dickie” Orpen, Sir Henry Tonks and Mollie Lentaigne. There is also personal artwork by Sir Harold Gillies and many of our members.
Photography
The Collection holds an extensive collection of photographs, some documenting staff and treatment procedures from the First World War. Others depict plastic surgery personalities from the 1930s, the Second World War and later 20th Century. One of the most significant collections is by Mr Percy Hennell taken during the Second World War. These are significant because of the method he helped devise for colour photography. BAPRAS is also home to historical film footage of various operative procedures.
Association Archive and Reference Library
The Collection also preserves the history of the Association, formally known as the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS), and its activities. The archive contains a large reference library of books about plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, as well as conference and lecture material.
Collection Highlights
1890
Prof. Thomas Pomfret Kilner
Born 17th September 1890, Lancashire, UK
Died 2nd July 1964
CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASTIC...
1910
Golf
Gillies became nationally famous as much for his influence on the game of golf as for his...
1930
Lady Gillies
Marjorie Clayton had been Harold Gillies long-time theatre sister.
Lady Gillies in...
1939
McIndoe - World War 2 and beyond
"A nice little hospital on the edge of a nice little town"
- Sir Archibald McIndoe
The...
1923
McIndoe's path to plastic surgery
Archibald Hector McIndoe never intended to become a plastic surgeon.
He graduated from Otago...
1900
McIndoe's personal life
Archie McIndoe, known to his family as “Nookie” was born the second of four children to John and...
1870
Reverdin Pinch Grafting Scissors
BAPRAS/738 – Reverdin Example
Date 1870 -1880
What Is This Instrument?
This is an example...
1980
Why Have A Collection?
Museums collect and preserve objects to be explored today and in the future.
They give visitors...