Bloody Barbers and Splattered Surgeons

Fri, 22 November 2024 2pm-3pm

Barber Surgeons: They’d pull your teeth and trim your beard – now we’re bringing them to life!

Barber surgeons were the medical and grooming experts of the Middle Ages, attending to all manner of physical ailments. These early medical professionals did everything from bloodletting and tooth-pulling to assisting in childbirth, making them the ultimate “handymen” of their day.

Join us on a journey from Roman York to Medieval London as we unravel the origins and evolution of this historical jack-of-all-trades. This 40-minute seated talk, held in our Victorian operating theatre, will be complemented by rarely-seen objects from the museum’s collection.

This might make you think twice before your next trip to the hairdresser.

The talk will be followed by a 20-minute Q&A session, where you can ask questions and explore the objects up close.

Maximum capacity: 40 people.

This ticket includes free admission to the museum galleries on the day of your tour. 

Type of event: Event