Post Mortem attire

[Monty]

Guys,

A request.

Does anyone hold any info or photographs with regards the attire worn by those conducting post mortems in the victorian period?

Any help would be gratefully recieved.

Cheers

Monty

[Septic Blue]

I believe that Robert Mann usually wore a top-hat and cape, and carried a Gladstone bag, while assisting at post-mortem examinations.

Afterward, he would retire to the Marlborough Club, on Pall Mall, and rub elbows with some of London's other 'surgical experts'. After all, the Guardians of the Whitechapel Poor Law Union had given him carte blanche to come and go, as he pleased.

[Sam Flynn]

Oddly enough, I have in my mind the image of a man in a full-length brown leather apron. No kidding!

[Monty]

Guys,

Thanks...I think.

I was wondering more the actual Doctor than assistants.

And Colin, let it go, some things aint worth it.

Monty

[Bob Hinton]

It is horrible to realise but most surgeons wore their normal street clothes with their sleeves rolled up.

Infection? What Infection?

[Monty]

Cheers Bob,

I thought as much. However there must have been a stage where they moved oved to 'scrubs' for the want of a better word.

Monty

[Suzi]

Hi Mont
Probably after Lister (shown here) and his handy carbolic spray!


Suz x

[Monty]

Many thanks Suzi, that helps.

Monty

[Suzi]

Quite like this little number too..


Suz

[Sam Flynn]

Here's Bagster Phillips and assistant at Annie Chapman's autopsy, as depicted in the Michael Caine "Ripper" mini-series:



I seem to recall that, in the film Zulu, Surgeon Reynolds wore a similar brown apron to those seen above, in the scene where a wounded Stanley Baker staggers into the Rorke's Drift infirmary ("Damn you, Chard! Damn all you butchers!").

[cappuccina]

Here is a photograph from the time, confirming the things all of you have said...

[Archaic]

Great photo, Cappucina!

I had always thought it dreadful that surgeons & other health workers wore their germ-infested street clothes around the sick, but I just realized that these people also rubbed elbows with the healthy populace while dressed in the same clothes they wore while autopsying the dead..

How would you like to sit next to one of these fellows on the omnibus at the end of a long day?

God only knows what they got splashed with at work.

Best regards, Archaic

[Graham]

Hi Mont
Probably after Lister (shown here) and his handy carbolic spray!
[ATTACH]6801[/ATTACH]

Suz x

Suze,

own up, now. That picture is a shot from your local amateur operatic company's production of 'Ruddigore'. I'm right, aren't I?

Best,

Graham

[Graham]

Quite like this little number too..
[ATTACH]6802[/ATTACH]

Suz

Suze,

and this one is a detail from Gottfried von Schweinerschagger's painting "Dr Lister Demonstrates Necrophilia".

I just know I'm right!

Graham

[cappuccina]

You can see that there were significant improvements in operating room/theatre conditions by 1925 (...this pic is from London Hospital, I think...)