New Medical School and Humphry Museum, Downing Street

History of New Medical School and Humphrey Museum

1832

Dissecting Room of the Anatomy School built 1832 demolished 1891, c.1890

The Dissecting Room of the Medical School was built by Charles Humfrey in 1832 …… the Lantern on top lit the table on which the lecturer demonstrated his dissection. …. In 1834 there was a riot outside it after a body snatcher was supposedly caught re-handed. After the riot, the only ground floor window was barred. Tp the right is the corner of the Corn Exchange.

1900

The 1832 Dissecting Room was replaced by a better designed and better looking building which still stands.

New Medical School and Humphrey Museum Downing Street

Downing Street: Humphry Museum and University Bicycle Club

Downing Street c.1905A detailed description of the Cambridge Medical School building which was designed in 1899 can be found here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Medical_School_building

The inscription on the window facing Tennis Court Road is described in Cambridge Inscriptions Explained by Nancy Gregory (2006).

Medical School inscription, Downing Street

DANS LES CHAMPS DE L’OBSERVATION LE HASARD NE FAVORISE QUE LES ESPRITS PRÉPARÉS

Where observation is concerned, chance favours only the prepared mind

These are words of Louis Pasteur and the architect was Edward Prior, who believed that inscriptions made buildings more intelligible to the passer-by. The inscription was the very first professional assignment of Eric Gill.

1913 Anatomical Museum etc

John Chaplin, porter

Biology Labs from car park (MoC2/89/70)

Humphry library (MoC439/74)