"The Octagon Gallery contains four large display cases filled with an eclectic selection of objects. Some celebrate groundbreaking discoveries, while others reflect ideas and practices that are more uncomfortable when viewed through a modern lens. Alongside them are documents relating to the university's founding."
"A set of preserved eyeballs, for example, was once used in attempts to determine how Jewish a person might be - a reminder of how scientific thinking has evolved, and not always for the better."
"Founded in 1826 as a secular institution, UCL was radical for its time, opening higher education to students regardless of religious background when many universities were effectively limited to members of the Church of England."
University College London celebrates its 200th anniversary with an exhibition displaying notable discoveries, artifacts, and historical moments across campus. The main Octagon Gallery features four display cases containing diverse objects ranging from groundbreaking scientific achievements to items reflecting outdated practices. Exhibits include the first surgical operation under anaesthesia, a 1970s rocket nose cone, and Queen Elizabeth II's first email from 1976. Other artifacts, such as preserved eyeballs used in discredited racial pseudoscience, demonstrate how scientific thinking has evolved. A thermionic valve invented at UCL represents early electronic components that enabled modern semiconductors. Founded in 1826 as a secular institution, UCL was revolutionary for opening higher education to students regardless of religious background. Display panels throughout the cloisters highlight notable figures associated with the university.
#university-history #scientific-discoveries #museum-exhibition #academic-heritage #institutional-evolution
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