Visual and Material Culture Inventory

The Visual and Material Culture inventory and concurrent audit began in March 2019.

What is the Visual and Material Culture Collection at Wellcome?

The Visual and Material Culture collection at Wellcome comprises a large volume of prints, drawings, paintings, photographs as well as some 3D objects reflecting the historical and cultural contexts of health and medicine and what it means to be human. Previously known as the 'iconographic' collection, visual material is arranged thematically, although this subject order is somewhat disrupted and duplicated by physical storage and packaging considerations.

The collection is kept in a number of storage locations and in a range of containers, including Solander storage boxes, drawers, plan chests, and art racks across the main Wellcome Collection site at 183, Euston Road and at the Wellcome Trust site at 215, Euston Road. Some items too, are on display in Wellcome Collection.

In 2024, Wellcome procured some offiste storage (artstore) to house some of our vertical works in the collection. Artstore is coded to CLW and was audited across March/April 2025.