“Pharmacy and Pharmacists:” Japanese Woodblock Print Exhibit at the Library

In January of 2013 the Archives staff installed a new exhibit titled “Pharmacy and Pharmacists” in the first floor gallery of the Library that will be on display through the end of the year.

This exhibit presents a selection of Japanese prints portraying traditional drug compounding and distribution establishments. Numerous advertisements for drug stores carefully depict pre-modern shops which were open to the street and had several signs promoting proprietary medicine and other store specialties. On many prints the physician (identifiable by his bald head) can be seen consulting with the pharmacists. Around the store, assistants and apprentices are preparing herbal drugs by grinding and powdering medicinal plants, dispensing drugs to customers and delivering new shipments of herbs. Some streets in Tokyo and other cities had rows of wholesale and retail drug emporia boldly advertising their traditional and Western-style products. The artists also show people from different walks of life in the street scenes where drugstores serve as a backdrop for everyday activities, with two prints depicting views of Mt. Fuji.

ucsf_jwbp_279

Yagi Hall (Yagidō), 1884
Artist: Matsukawa Hanzan (Japanese, 1818-1882)
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
37.7 x 25.5 cm
Object ID: ucsf_p279
A Japanese print with Chinese writing depicting a large drug wholesale business in Osaka by the name of “Yagido.” The business specializes in imported traditional Chinese medicine and seems to be appealing to preferred customers via this advertisement.
More information about this image: http://bit.ly/ucsfp279

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Photographs of old Medical Sciences Library

The images that appear in Brought to Light’s header hail from the UCSF Archives & Special Collections’ Photograph Collection. Choosing the images to welcome you to our blog– if you refresh the page a few times you’ll notice that it cycles through a small variety– was quite enjoyable. We hope you like them and will bring you more information on the photographs periodically.

New library Med Sci

UCSF Medical Sciences Library, 1950s.

Three different headers feature these two photographs of UCSF’s old library, sure to induce fits of nostalgia for the days of card catalogs.

OMSB library 50s

UCSF Medical Sciences Library, 1950s.

The lovely library in the photographs was located in the Medical Sciences building, 513 Parnassus Ave, on the UCSF Parnassus campus. The building was designed by Blanchard and Maher and built in the early 1950’s alongside the Teaching Hospital, what is now known as the Medical Center and Children’s Hospital.

The library space within Medical Sciences was forfeited and repurposed when the Kalmanovitz Library, 530 Parnassus Avenue, opened in 1990– gaining space and inarguably better scenic views! The former location of the main entrance to the library is unrecognizable today– otherwise known as Room S-256. Room S-256 sits inconspicuously on the left at the top large, open staircase across from Cole Hall.

UCSF now boasts two libraries, the Parnassus Library as well as the Mission Bay FAMRI Library. Stop by and say hi!

Welcome!

Welcome to the UCSF Archives and Special Collections blog! It will feature new acquisitions, highlight existing collections and unique items, provide updates on processing and digitization projects, services, exhibits and special events.

The posts are written by archives staff: Polina Ilieva, UCSF Archivist and Margaret Hughes, UCSF Assistant Archivist. We are also looking forward to working with invited bloggers and guests. Please let us know if you would like to hear more about a specific topic or item from our holdings and use the comment section to share your thoughts.