Lecture Series: Fanny Longfellow’s Moment in the History of Medicine

Local author Tegan Kehoe will discuss her forthcoming book, Exploring American Healthcare through 50 Historic Treasures (Rowman & Littlefield, December 2021) with emphasis on sections of the book that provide context for the Longfellow family’s relationship with health and medicine. Site archivist Kate Hanson Plass will share details specific to the family. The discussion will touch on mid-nineteenth century attitudes towards childbirth and diseases that touched the family such as tuberculosis. The key story connecting the book and the Longfellows is the entry of anesthesia into the medical world, which took place in Boston in 1846, and Fanny Longfellow’s unprecedented decision to use ether anesthesia in childbirth the following year.

This event is part of the 2021 Fall Lecture Series at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, “Histories of the Body in Art, Science, and Society.” For information on other events in the series and to register, visit https://www.nps.gov/long/planyourvisit/fall-lecture-series.htm.

Each lecture will be live captioned. Please use the registration form to request additional accessibility accommodations.