Rag: A History of Blood

Rag: A History of Blood 

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (“the College”) is later this week launching a new exhibition “Rag: A History of Blood.” The exhibition- which runs from Friday 27th February- uncovers the history of blood and explores the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, menstruation and menopause as well as the subject of scientific racism. 

It will feature textile art created by artist Leigh Bowser and The Blood Bag Project, a craft project which raises awareness of Diamond Blackfan Anaemia and includes interviews with HIV/AIDS survivors and specialists who were working during the height of the global HIV epidemic including Edinburgh-based Dr Jacqui Mok. A first edition of rare text Antonie van Leeuwenhoek’s Arcana Naturae Detecta – the book which showed the first ever drawing of a blood cell- will be on display. The exhibition is divided into the themes of blood-based scientific discoveries, blood myths and stigma and the blood trade.

Blood has been studied and analysed for thousands of years and examined for its ability to give life, to spread disease and to sow division. Bringing together artefacts spanning scientific illustrations, textile art, interviews, early modern rare books and medicines, “Rag: A History of Blood” highlights the social, medical and cultural impact of blood.

Dr Daisy Cunynghame (curator of ‘Rag: A History of Blood’) said:

Blood is fascinating because it is so much more than a body fluid. We might need it to live, but we also need it as an idea, as a basis for our storytelling and our social taboos. We use it to mean so many things – the blue blooded, the blood brothers, each from our own bloodline. 

We really wanted this exhibition to have a grounding of science, but to look at how the idea of blood touches all of our lives. The idea that menstruation is a source of shame, and how that ancient idea is still with us now and still makes people ashamed to admit they are on their period, or they are going through the menopause. It was fascinating pouring through hundreds and hundreds of historic images of wombs in our collections and yet not being able to find any of non-pregnant women. And to read the euphemistic language used – ‘the flowers’, ‘the sickness’ and ‘the monthlies’ for menstruation, ‘the change’, ‘unthroned queen’ or ‘old maid’s anxiety’.

Notes to Editors:

Content information:

• As well as objects, illustrations and manuscripts the exhibition has a touchscreen showing short interviews with practitioners and people with lived experience of HIV/AIDS
• The exhibition also contains a touch table with 3D models of blood vessels, ovaries and the heart as well as a blood-smell box
• The exhibition looks at the history of blood in a cultural as well as a clinical context
• Objects are a large part of the exhibition, and some of the most interesting items are: (1) Choices Board Game, on loan from Lothian Health Services Archive. This board game was created by Lothian Health Board and Lothian Council to raise awareness of the risks surrounding HIV/AIDS, (2) All Vulvas are Beautiful Textile, on loan from the Thackray Medical Museum. A textile art wall hanging created by school students which addresses the subject of period poverty, (3) a Victorian leech jar, on loan from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Some interesting points:

• Through objects and books the exhibition explores the role of blood in scientific racism – including stigma around blood transfusions from black people and the use of the unscientific term ‘bad blood’ to justify unethical experiments on black people, particularly as part of the Tuskegee Study
• The exhibition explores the role of shame and secrecy in the history of menstruation and menopause – the euphemistic language used to describe them, the lack of historic writing and anatomical drawing of non-pregnant women’s bodies
• The exhibition includes quack treatments known as Humphreys Menopause Pills, Perkins National Herbs and Macaura’s Blood Circulator – showing how quackery thrived where conditions were treated as shameful, secretive and untreatable
• The exhibition uses a Scottish 18th century chapbook recipe for cooking human blood to explore the role of medical cannibalism in historical medical treatments
• The exhibition will run from 27 February 2026 to 16 October 2026
• The exhibition is free
• Open Monday – Friday 10am – 4.30pm but with some evening and weekend openings (see website for more information)
• A full public programme of events will accompany the exhibition, more information can be found on the exhibition webpages
• The web address is www.rcpe.ac.uk/rag
• Details of a launch event in the evening of 26 February 2026 are available here: Exhibition Launch of Rag: A History of Blood | Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh