Heritage

Our Heritage and that of our specialty

The College has its foundations in the Faculty of Anaesthetists formed in 1948 within the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Our archive includes books, paintings, photographs and documents dating from that time onwards.

To help put the work of the College into historical context, there is an active Heritage Committee contributing to publications and exhibitions. The committee also administers the archive collection policy and seeks to encourage submissions for the Lives of the Fellows project.

Delve into the sometimes surprising story of how anaesthesia developed, or find out more about the history of the College and its Fellows, by exploring the options below.

If you have an enquiry about the College archives, please contact archives@rcoa.ac.uk.