Edinburgh Physicians’ Gallery Announces Curator-Led Spotlight Talks for Autumn

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh is hosting a series of curator-led spotlight talks exploring objects from its collection. The events take place on the last Wednesday of each month from 30th September to 25th November at 11 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JQ.

Talk Schedule and Details

Each session focuses on a different topic relating to science and the history of medicine:

• Spotlight: Straitjacket (30th September 2026): Explores the controversial history of the straitjacket, which was viewed as medical progress in 1700s Europe but criticised by Victorian reformers and disliked by patients.

• Spotlight: Jacobite Chest (28th October 2026): A twenty-minute talk focusing on a medicine chest containing 147 different remedies, reportedly used at the Battle of Culloden by a prominent Jacobite doctor and Physician-in-Chief to Bonnie Prince Charlie.

• Spotlight: Victorian Exercise (25th November 2026): Examines Victorian fitness culture, including touring bodybuilders like Eugen Sandow, the rise of gymnastics, and the opening of large public gymnasiums in cities such as Edinburgh.

Admission and Booking

Admission to all talks is free, but pre-booking is required through the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh website.