Wellcome Collection reaches 1 million visitor milestone
On 20 July 2007 Wellcome Collection opened to the public. Just three years later, one million people have passed through its doors. Yaphet Berihoun, a student and regular user of the Wellcome Library, was the milestone visitor and received a goodie bag to mark the event.
Wellcome Collection's latest temporary exhibition, 'Skin', wrapped up in September. A summer of related events included sessions on the science of healthy skin, the history and cultural significance of tattoos and the 'Skin: Exposed' symposium, which explored nakedness in different periods, cultures and contexts.
'High Society', which opens in November, will look at mind-altering drugs in history and culture. The exhibition will explore everything from apothecary to laboratory studies, self-experimentation, collective intoxication and the drugs trade. An accompanying series of events will include a two-day symposium and discussion events curated by cultural historian Mike Jay.
Also in November, free Friday-night extravaganza 'Hand' will celebrate the functional organ that allows us to make, touch and hold.
Finally, a new app for the iPhone and iPod Touch gives you your very own multimedia Medical London guide in your pocket. Produced in association with City Stories Walks, the free app 'Blood, Guts, Brains and Babies' leads you through the streets of London, bringing together film, audio and photographs from our archives.
Download the app from iTunes, or find the app at City Stories Walks.
About Wellcome Collection
Wellcome Collection opened to the public as a £30 million visitor destination in June 2007. Free to all, Wellcome Collection explores the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future. The building comprises three galleries, a public events space, the Wellcome Library, a café, a bookshop, conference facilities and a members' club. Wellcome Collection is part of the Wellcome Trust.
About the Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. The Trust funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending over £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust also supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.