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'Re-framing disability' wins prestigious awardWe are delighted to announce that the RCP and Shape have won a prestigious Ability Media International award for the 'Re-framing disability' exhibition. Full story
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An exhibition exploring four centuries of hidden history with responses from disabled people today.
After successful runs at the RCP, Shape, the University of Leicester, St Pancras Hospital, and venues in Dublin, the award-winning exhibition had an extended showing at the Thackray Museum in Leeds, 27 October until 27 January 2013. It is featuring at venues in West Sussex, from 1 July to 28 August 2013, as part of the Speaking Up For Disability project.
Find out more about the touring venues
We are currently planning future venues for 2013-14. If you are interested in hosting this exhibition, please contact the RCP museum staff on either +44 (0)20 3075 1543 or email history@rcplondon.ac.uk.
Introduction to the exhibition 'Re-framing disability'
This exhibition explores a group of rare portraits from the 17th to the 19th centuries, held by the Royal College of Physicians. The portraits depict disabled men and women of all ages and walks of life, many of whom earned a living exhibiting themselves to the public.
Some individuals, such as conjoined ‘Siamese’ twins Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–74), are still famous today. Others, including professional artist Thomas Inglefield (b 1769), who was born without legs or hands, are now forgotten.
The exhibition uncovers the extraordinary hidden histories behind the portraits and looks at their impact today through contemporary responses from disabled people.
The 27 disabled participants from across the UK were invited to have their photographic portraits taken and to be filmed. The results form part of the exhibition, and can be viewed on this website.
An exhibition catalogue can he purchased from the RCP bookshop. The catalogue reveals the stories behind the creation of the ‘Re-framing disability’ project, the research findings exploring the historical portraits, and the autobiographical text of the disabled participants.
This project has been supported by Shape and the Wellcome Trust.
Above are numerous images from the exhibition. These comprise the RCP's historical portraits of disabled people from the 17th to the 19th centuries and contemporary photographic portraits of the disabled participants of the project. Browse the gallery to get further information and to read the views of the project participants.
Exhibition film
A film interviewing the 27 disabled participants of the project 'Re-framing disability' was created by deaf film-makers Ted Evans and Bim Ajadi in 2010.
