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“A Lady with a lamp shall stand.
In the great history of the land,
A noble type of good,
Heroic Womanhood.”

Santa Filomena by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1857

‘Santa Filomena’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, USA, 1857

Display No. 13

‘Santa Filomena’ is a poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is written shortly after the Crimean War in Nightingale’s honour, and describes her work in Scutari Hospital.

In this poem Longfellow coined the name “The Lady with the Lamp”, an image which has become forever associated with Nightingale.

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Nightingale is respected worldwide for her pioneering role in developing the nursing profession, her statistical work, and her evidence-based approach to healthcare. In honour of her bicentenary the World Health Organisation have named 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

In our special exhibition, you will find out about objects, people and places which tell interesting stories about Florence’s life and legacy. You’ll discover artefacts from her life, people she both inspired and challenged, and places she helped to shape. There’s many more insights too!

Please click on the different sections of her famous coxcomb diagram to explore various aspects of her life and legacy. We hope you enjoy exploring!