Wellcome Collection in London shuts ‘racist, sexist and ableist’ medical history gallery

Medicine Man exhibits included painting of a black African kneeling in front of a white missionary

A museum in London run by the Wellcome foundation health charity is to close one of its key galleries because it perpetuates a version of medical history that is based on racist, sexist and ableist theories and language".

The Wellcome Collection's announcement on Saturday affects a free permanent display called Medicine Man, which includes objects relating to sex, birth and death and includes anatomical models in wood, ivory and wax dating back to the 17th century. These were collected by Sir Henry Wellcome who amassed more than a million items on the history of health and medicine.