Philadelphia is home to the nation’s first medical library, hospital, and surgical amphitheatre, its first medical school, first children’s hospital, and first college of pharmacy. In a celebration of the intersection of medicine and art, the 2012 Philadelphia Antiques Show (April 28–May 1, 2012) Loan Exhibition showcased the exceptional fine art and objects that have been part of Pennsylvania Hospital’s 260 years of history. Established to care for the sick poor and mentally ill in 1751, Pennsylvania Hospital, still fully-operational, was the nation’s first chartered hospital and is a repository of antique furniture, paintings, sculpture, rare books, and manuscripts linked to its history. Over fifty objects from or related to the Pennsylvania Hospital were on display at the antiques show, and included:
