The Dissecting Room in 1864 showing Professor George Britton Halford (1824-1910) with first and second year students

Date
1864
Description
The dissection class in 1864 was conducted by Professor George Britton Halford (1824-1910), the first Chair of Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology at the University of Melbourne. It shows dissection tables with cadavers. The classes took place in the converted stable in the backyard of Halford's rented house in Madelene Street.

Featured from left to right are: Octavius Vernon Lawrence, Thomas Ramsden Ashworth (1830-1876), Patrick Moloney (1843-1904), Francis Long, Alexander Mackie (1839-1892), Dr Gerald Harry Fetherston (1829-1901), Professor George Britton Halford, William Carey Rees(1843–1879).

Moloney, Mackie and Rees were the first three students admitted in Melbourne Medical School in 1863. Dr G. H. Fetherston acted as an unofficial demonstrator.
In the background is the medical school porter.

Thomas Ashworth (arrived Australia 1860s, died 1876, third from the left) was the first person to document the existence of Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) in the Australian Medical Journal in 1869, the year he graduated from the University of Melbourne.

Black and white photograph, heavily retouched with ink or watercolour.
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Object detail

Date

1864

Medium

photograph, ink and watercolour, mounted and framed

Measurements

49.3 x 55.8 x 4.0 cm (framed image)
30.7 x 38.5 (sepia reprint laid down)
31.5 x 46.5 cm (b&w copy)

Accession Number

MHM00463

Inscriptions

inscriptions ▫ verso: 'Professor Halford with the first 2 years of anatomy/classes in 1864/Front table (l. to r.) P. Molony, A. Mackie,/Prof G.B. Halford and W.C. Rees/(Molony, Mackie & Rees were the first 3/students) Moloney & Rees were to be the first/Medical graduates./Back table (l. to r.) O.V. Lawrence, T.R. Ashworth/F. Long & Dr G. H. Fetherston who acted as/an unofficial demonstrator/In the background is the medical school/porter/The dissection took place in the converted stable/in the backyard of Halford's rented house/in Madeleine Street' ▫ reprint
owner's mark/inscriptions ▫ verso: as cartouche, 'DEPARTMENT/OF/MEDICAL HISTORY' ▫ reprint
accession number/owner's mark/inscriptions ▫ verso, in lr cnr: '463.2' ▫ reprint
numbered/inscriptions ▫ verso, in ur cnr: '11' encircled ▫ reprint
inscriptions ▫ incised on plaque, 'THE DISSECTING ROOM IN 1864. SHOWING HALFORD WITH FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS/FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:/OCTAVIUS VERNON LAWRENCE, THOMAS RAMSDEN ASHWORTH, PATRICK MALONEY./FRANCIS LONG, ALEXANDER MACKIE, DR. GERALD HARRY FEATHERSTONE,/PROFESSOR GEORGE BRITTON HALFORD, WILLIAM CAREY REES./DR. FETHERSTONE ACTED AS AN UNOFFICIAL PROSECTOR TO PROFESSOR HALFORD./IN THE BACKGROUND IS THE MEDICAL SCHOOL PORTER.'

Object Type

photographic medium/photograph

Medical History Museum Category

Melbourne Medical School

Museum

Medical History Museum

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