April 4, 2003

MGH employees, patients and visitors may have noticed a recent addition to the hospital's decor. Illustrated plaques describing and depicting highlights of the hospital's rich history have been mounted in corridors and exterior walls at locations throughout the main campus. Each plaque represents a stop on a self-guided tour known as the MGH History Trail, a project undertaken jointly by the MGH Archives and MGH Public Affairs. An illustrated brochure with a map of locations and a brief description of each stop now is available upon request at the Maxwell and Eleanor Blum Patient and Family Learning Center and at the Gray Surgical Family Waiting Area in Gray 145.

Each plaque on the MGH History Trail features a historic image from the collections of the MGH Archives and a narrative describing buildings, events or activities of historic significance to the hospital. The MGH History Trail in its present form consists of 22 stops, but the scope of the project may be expanded in the future to encompass additional points of interest. Groups or individuals who want to take all or part of the tour can start at any point using the brochure's map for directions.

Among the History Trail stops are high-profile landmarks and lesser-known points of interest. Most MGHers are familiar with the original operating room of the MGH, now known as the Ether Dome, which was the site of the first public demonstration of surgical anesthesia in 1846 and now a highlight of the tour. Until about 1860, patients and supplies sometimes arrived at the hospital by boat, off-loading at the MGH wharf, a surviving fragment of which still can be seen through a window on the east side of the Main Corridor. Another highly visible historic item is the horse-drawn ambulance, which is located in the Main Lobby. The ambulance was used to transport physicians as well as patients during emergencies in the late 19th century.

MGH accomplishments in social work, nursing, reproductive health, aseptic surgery and other important fields also are highlighted in the tour. Old building plaques and exhibits of framed photographs have been mounted at selected sites. For more information about the MGH History Trail, call (617) 726-2206.