Welcome
STEP inside a hospital which helped to change the world of medicine forever.
Glasgow Royal Infirmary’s first admission was way back in December 1794 – and since then it has been at the forefront of revolutionary advances.
This is the place where Joseph Lister discovered antisepsis, the location for the world’s first x-ray department and the venue where the first successful brain surgery took place. Rebecca Strong – who worked under the iconic Florence Nightingale – was the first matron here.
The Friends of GRI charity was established in May 2020 to celebrate this rich past. Two years later we opened a small museum, which the public can now enter free of charge on various days of the week.
We also have projects focusing on sustainability and enhancement of the workplace environment. A medicinal garden sits adjacent to the museum and bee hives are situated in a secret location on site. Our honey is sold each year and nearby restaurant Celentano’s includes GRI honey on the menu from head chef Dean Parker’s own GRI-based hive.
Our aim is to make GRI’s history accessible to the public via the museum and through hosting events commemorating the people and discoveries associated with the hospital.
If you would like to know more, have your own GRI memories to share, have come by any artefacts from the hospital or just want to be added to our mailing list then we’d love to hear from you at info@friendsofgri.live-website.com.
News
About Us
The concept of a medical museum was first floated more than a decade ago but life got in the way and the dream was never realised. In 2020, during the early part of the covid-19 pandemic, a charity was established. Under the auspices of the charity, dedicated social media accounts began to share some of the history of GRI. This generated interest, support and camaraderie during difficult and uncertain times. Virtual celebrations of Joseph Lister – #listerweek – and GRI women – #womensweek – followed and then an actual medical museum. The rest, as they say, is history!
The charity board comprises five trustees including our Chairman, Mr John Stuart. A wonderful team of volunteers staff the museum, maintain our garden areas, provide administrative support and run our website and media academy. We have no paid team members.
