Lothian Health Services Archive
Lothian Health Services Archive holds the historically important local records of NHS hospitals and other health-related material. We collect, preserve and catalogue these records and promote them to increase understanding of the history of health and for the benefit of all.
LHSA is core funded by NHS Lothian and project funded by a variety of institutions, including the Wellcome Trust. LHSA is part of the University of Edinburgh Centre for Research Collections, Main Library, George Square, Edinburgh.
HIV/AIDS Collections
In 2011, LHSA’s HIV/AIDS collections were awarded inscription to the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register, signifying their importance as a cultural resource. The collections are made up of a variety of media, mostly loose paper documents, leaflets and postcards but also badges, stickers, photographs, 35mm slides and canvas and plastic bags, as well as rubber and latex items such as condoms and balloons.
A 12-month Wellcome Trust-funded project to catalogue and conserve the material began in January 2014. During this time, we found that the collections offered substantial educational potential due to the large volume of photographs and promotional material held, which document unique and pioneering health promotion campaigns.
In May 2015, we launched this website to expose and promote these newly accessible collections to a wider and more diverse audience. This project is funded by the Wellcome Trust’s ‘Provision for Public Engagement’ scheme, which enables previous Wellcome Trust-funded projects to apply for up to 10% of the original award support innovative work that will inspire, and engage with, the community.
Project Credits
LHSA gratefully acknowledges the generous financial support of the Wellcome Trust, as well as the help from the following website contributors; Karyn Williamson, Emily Hick, Iain Phillips, Colette Bush, and Clair Millar. We would also like to thank Waverley Care, Crew 2000, Scottish Council on Archives, Edinburgh Council Quality Improvement Officers, and Education Scotland for their advice and feedback throughout this project.
