Hamilton Health Sciences Archival Collections Highlights
The Hannah Unit at McMaster has compiled this partial catalogue of the HHS collection; a complete inventory is available only in the HSL Archives Database. Some of the collections here have a “subfonds,” or a detailed inventory of the contents, see below.
Hamilton Health Association & Hamilton Mountain Sanatorium Archives | |
Archival Collection: 1906-1960 89 boxes, 40 linear feet of textual records; 18 boxes, 7 linear feet of photographic records HSC 1B16, HHA S17-20, S27 | The Hamilton Mountain Sanatorium opened in May 1906 to help treat patients with tuberculosis. While it was the fourth sanatorium built in Canada, it was the first to open its doors to all tuberculosis patients, from early to advanced stages of the disease. In the early 20th century, there was no known cure for tuberculosis except bed rest, nutritious food, and fresh air. The Mountain Sanatorium began on a donated farm far out of town on the escarpment overlooking west Hamilton with 2 tents and 8 patients. Gradually small frame cottages completely open to the weather were built. In time these were replaced with more comfortable and fire proof brick buildings. During the First World War, the Canadian government invested in the Mountain Sanatorium to treat soldiers that returned home suffering from tuberculosis and gassed lungs. With the 1944 discovery of streptomycin, the first effective remedy for tuberculosis, the Sanatorium was no longer full and needed to change its mandate. Since there were not enough hospitals in northern Canada, the Sanatorium began accepting Inuit patients with tuberculosis. Between 1958 and 1962, 1,272 Inuit were treated at the Mountain Sanatorium for tuberculosis. In 1961 the sanatorium changed its mandate, expanded its services and became a general hospital called the Chedoke General and Children’s Hospital. For further information about the Chedoke Hospital, see the entry below. The archival collection includes administrative records and photographs. The Hamilton Health Association formed in 1905 to help fight tuberculosis in Hamilton and build the Hamilton Mountain Sanatorium. It was divided into a Gentlemen’s Board, which acted as the executive committee, and the Ladies’ Auxiliary Board, which acted as the operating committee for the sanatorium. The Hamilton Health Association actively fundraised for the building of a sanatorium in Hamilton, and by 1906, had raised over $40,000. Marion Crerar, first president of the Ladies’ Board, headed the fundraising campaign and worked to raise $2,500. The archival collection represents the relationship between the Hamilton Health Association and its administration of the Mountain Sanatorium, including administrative records and photographs of the Sanatorium. |
| Subfonds can be found here: | Hamilton Health Association Subfonds |
| For more information on tuberculosis: | Tuberculosis – HSL |
| Historical Overview of Chedoke Hospital | http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/healthcarehistory /places/chedoke.html |
Chedoke Hospitals Archive (1961-1979) | |
| In 1961, the Hamilton Mountain Sanatorium became a general hospital called the Chedoke General and Children’s Hospital. The name changed again in 1971 to Chedoke Hospitals. The collection contains information about the hospital from 1961-1979. | |
Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals Archive (1979-1997) | |
| In 1979, Chedoke Hospitals amalgamated with the McMaster University Medical Centre to become half of Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals. In 1997 Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals amalgamated with Hamilton Civic Hospitals to form Hamilton Health Sciences. It is now known as Chedoke Hospital of Hamilton Health Sciences. The collection was transferred from the administration offices. It includes the minutes of all the major committees, reports and publications by the hospital, 1979-1997. | |
| Historical Overview of Chedoke Hospital | http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/healthcarehistory /places/chedoke.html |
Hamilton Civic Hospitals, 1898–1997 | |
The Hamilton Civic Hospitals was the 1962 amalgamation of the Hamilton General and Henderson Hospitals whereby they were removed from the control of the City Council and were turned over to the new, independent corporation. In 1997 the Hamilton Civic Hospitals were amalgamated with the Chedoke-McMaster Hospital to become Hamilton Health Sciences.Henderson Hospital, formerly known as Mount Hamilton and today known as the Juravinski Hospital, first opened in 1917 to serve First World War veterans. Its mission soon expanded to other chronic and convalescent patients. In 1954 it was renamed in honour of the Hamilton journalist, politician, and activist Nora-Frances Henderson (1897–1949). It was renamed the Juravinski Hospital in 2010. The Hamilton General Hospital originated from a small private house that was approved for use as a hospital in October 1848 to treat immigrants who brought cholera. First known as the ‘City Hospital,’ it opened at its present-day location in 1882. Significant to both local and national history, the Hamilton General opened the country’s first operating theatre in 1893, and the city’s first cancer clinic in 1938. This archive contains major committees, reports, departmental material, and a large collection of photographs of the Henderson and Hamilton General Hospitals spanning the period 1898–1997. There are 19 subfonds, including: Alpha Phi Sorority, Chaplaincy, Duffield Flower Mission, Engineering and Development, Executive Offices, General Library, HCH Foundation, Hamilton Civic Hospitals, Hamilton General Hospitals, Henderson Hospital, Medical Affairs, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Office of Document Management (x2), Office of Public Affairs, Physiotherapy, School of Nursing, Trauma Program Office, andVolunteer Association. The Hamilton General Hospital subfonds contains seven series: Engineering and Development, Hamilton Civic Hospitals Photograph Collection, Library, Photographs, Planning Material, and Reports. The Henderson Hospital subfonds contains two series, Agreements and Public Relations. It also contains 11 Hospital Accreditation Reports. The School of Nursing subfonds contains one series on Administration. Additional material on the School of Nursing can be found as its own fonds. In addition, there are subfonds for both the Hamilton General Hospital and Henderson Hospital within the Hamilton Health Sciences fonds. | |
Hamilton Health Sciences Collection, 1997–present | |
The Hamilton Health Sciences Collection includes records such as minutes of major committees, reports, and publications, transferred from the executive offices, of the following HHS member institutions:
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| There are 70 subfonds of this collection, including: Archives, Audio Visual Services, Behavioral Medicine Clinic, Chaplinacy-Spiritual Care, Chedoke Continuing Care Centre, Child and Family Centre, Children’s Developmental Rehabilitation Program, Children’s Exercise & Nutrition Centre, Daniel Offord, Department of Anaesthesia, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Gerontology, Department of Labour and Delivery, Department of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Social Work, Department of Surgery, Economic Development Office, Elizabeth Manganelli, Employee Assistance Program, Engineering and Development Department, Executive Offices, Facilities Planning, Finance Department, Finance Office, Foundation Office, Hamilton General Hospital Library, Hamilton General Hospital (x2), Hamilton Health Association, Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, Health and Safety, Henderson Hospital Library, Henderson Hospital, John Hewson, John V. Basmajian Rehabilitation Services, John V. Basmajian, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Ken Deane Finance Office/Finance Department, Library Services, Main Street West Urgent Care Centre, Neonatal Department, Nursing Services (x2), Nutrition Services, Oded Bar-Or, Office of Document Management (x2), Office of Medical Affairs, Office of Public Affairs, Office of Strategy Management, Office of the Chief of Staff, Offord Centre for Child Studies, Paramedic Program, Physiotherapy Department, Professional Affairs, Scott Rowand President & CEo Executive Offices, Sexual Assault/Domestic Assault Violence Care Centre, St. Peter’s Hospital, Ted Capstick Vice-President of Human Resources, Telecommunications Office, Volunteer Resources, and Y2K Project Team. | |
Hamilton General Hospital School of Nursing, 1890–1973 | |
Originating from a small private house that was approved for use as a hospital in October 1848 to treat immigrants who brought cholera, the ‘City Hospital’ as it was then known, opened at its present-day location in 1882. The hospital’s nursing school was opened in 1890 by the newly-appointed hospital superintendent, Dr. Ingersoll Olstead. The nursing school was closed in 1973 when the programme was transferred to Mohawk College. The small archival collection contains photographs, course material, and uniforms from the school that graduated nurses from 1890–1973. The collection has largely been donated by individual alumnae. | |
Dr Oded Bar-Or (1937-2005) | |
| Oded Bar-Or, MD, was a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University from 1981 through 2003, where he earned worldwide renown as the father of pediatric exercise science. In 1983, he established the world’s first Children’s Exercise and Nutrition Centre at McMaster, combining science and clinical applications in the field of childhood exercise, nutrition and obesity. His papers include planning material, reports, correspondence, and conference material. | |
Dr John Basmajian (1921-2008) | ||
| John Basmajian, MD, was internationally recognized as a leader in the field of rehabilitation science, specifically in the area of electromyography. At McMaster, he was a professor of medicine with a joint appointment to biomedical sciences from 1977 to 1986. Well known as a pioneer of biofeedback, a technique widely used in rehabilitation, he is also the inventor of several medical devices. Basmajian was the first and founding director of the Chedoke Rehabilitation Centre. His papers include correspondence, memoirs, conference material and awards. | ||
Dr David R. (Daniel) Offord (1934-2004) | |
| David R. (Dan) Offord, MD, was one of the world’s authorities on child psychiatry and a passionate advocate for children and youth. As a professor at McMaster (1978-1999), Dr. Offord established the Faculty of Health Sciences as an international leader in child psychiatry research and the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University was named in his honour. His papers include planning material, correspondence, reports and publications regarding the centre. | |