MANCHESTER, NH – The Queen City’s longstanding commitment to the well-being of its citizens will be the focus of a new exhibit at the Millyard Museum called “Doctor’s Orders: Public Health in Manchester.”
The exhibit will open to the public on March 10 and run through June 24.
“When the City’s Public Health Department asked us for help in its pursuit of a ‘Culture of Health’ prize from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, it became apparent that there was a great story to be told,” said John Clayton, executive director of the Manchester Historic Association.
“From the earliest days of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, this community was remarkably progressive in its efforts to foster a culture of health,” he added, “whether it be in the form of work-place safety, preventive medical care, clean drinking water, nutrition education or the establishment of parks and green spaces to encourage an active lifestyle.”
The exhibit employs photographs, artifacts and ephemera drawn from the MHA’s collection, and, to address more modern times, the museum has borrowed resources from the many institutions in the city that serve the growing and changing healthcare needs of the community.
“And just as the community is rising today to meet the challenge of the opiate epidemic, in the past, health care professionals have grappled with smallpox, the Spanish flu, cholera and a host of other scourges,” Clayton said. “It’s fascinating to follow the timeline.”
While the exhibit celebrates the contributions of well-known individuals such as Dr. Selma Deitch and Dr. George S. Foster, it also recognizes those whose work behind the scenes helped to create a culture of health in Manchester.
For more information on the exhibit, go to www.manchesterhistoric.org or call 603-622-7531.
Founded in 1896, the Manchester Historic Association is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization with the mission to collect, preserve and share the history of Manchester, New Hampshire. The Association operates the Millyard Museum and the Research Center, both of which are open to the general public. The Association presents a variety of public programs including lectures, walking tours and concerts, and also school programs for students from third grade through college. Call (603) 622-7531 for more information, or visit www.manchesterhistoric.org.
