The Operating Theatre: 250 Years of Surgery in Hospitals

Paintings, photographs and architectural plans trace how hospital operating theatres changed alongside surgical techniques and social attitudes.

The exhibition follows more than two centuries of hospital surgery, from operations before anaesthesia to contemporary NHS surgical teams. A recovered eighteenth-century painting, historic photographs and design plans explore pain relief, infection control, architecture and changing views of public access and patient confidentiality. Open Wednesday to Saturday during museum hours, 10:00–17:00; admission is included with free museum entry.