Exhibits and lectures

Current exhibit:When There Are No Words

Until March 30, 2025
 white flowers on blue background

When There Are No Words

La version française suit.

The exhibit,When There Are No Words, addresses the subjects of death and grief in Québec society through the lens of colour, symbols, printed texts, and handwritten messages found in sympathy cards from the last 150 years. It also includes a selection of condolence objects provided by the Organ and Tissue Donation Program of the Health Centre as an illustration of a different expression of sympathy.

Presented by theDepartment of Social Studies of Medicine,Maude Abbott Medical Museum, and theOsler Library of the History of Medicine.


L’expositionQuand les mots manquentaborde les thèmes de la mort et du deuil dans la société québécoise à travers le prisme des couleurs, des symboles, des textes imprimés et des messages manuscrits trouvés dans des cartes de condoléances datant des 150 dernières années. Elle comprend également une sélection d’objets de condoléances fournis par le Programme de don d’organes et de tissus du Centre universitaire de santé , illustrant une autre forme d’expression de sympathie.

Recent events and exhibits:

Reading Abbott

Maude Abbott loved to read. This exhibition explores both what she read and ways we can read her life story.

Heart & Mind by Stéphan Ballard, 2023 Michèle Larose-Osler Library Artist-in-Residence

Sequence Heart and Mind by Stephan Ballard

Thou Hast Need of Them: Historical Minorities in the Faculty of Medicine

 Historical surgical tools / Left side: Logos  Library, Jewish Public Library, School of Medicine / Right side: Maude Abbott Medical Museum & Osler Library crest

Staff from theOsler Library of the History of Medicine,Maude Abbott Medical Museum, and the discussed the fascinating holdings related to three medical graduates from , each of whom prevailed over the systemic barriers they faced in pursuing their medical careers. Each institution gave a brief presentation about their graduate, followed by the opportunity to interact with items from their material history.

Past exhibitions and presentations

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