Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Additional Online Media

Catalog Data

Creator:
Boyd, Walter Willard, Dr.  Search this
Boyd, John C.  Search this
Carpenter, Josephine  Search this
Names:
Peter Bent Brigham Hospital.  Search this
Cushing, Harvey, Dr., 1869-1939  Search this
Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich, 1849-1936  Search this
Ruth, Babe, 1895-1948  Search this
Willard, Walter Jones  Search this
Extent:
6 Cubic feet (7 boxes)
2 Motion picture films
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Motion picture films
Letterpress copybooks
Greeting cards
Sympathy cards
Scrapbooks
Posters
Correspondence
Date:
1874-1945
Summary:
Papers related to Dr. John C. Boyd's career as a U.S. Navy surgeon, including his commission, names recommended for awards, his casebook for 1874-1877, his correspondence, including two letterpress books, 1895-1902; photographs. Also photographs, especially those by his son, Dr. Walter Willard Boyd, of Dr. Harvey Cushing performing neurosurgical and other operations; two films (1931) of an operation; two scrapbooks, including one outlining an accident and eventual amputation of the leg of Walter Jones Willard (includes letters and sympathy cards).
Scope and Contents note:
This collection is divided into six series. Series 1: Awards and Commissions, 1917-1920 Series 2: Casebook, 1874-1877 Series 3: CORRESPONDENCE, January 1895-February 1902 Series 4: PHOTOGRAPHS,1928 - 1939 Series 5: POSTERS, early 1900's- mid 1940's Series 6: SCRAPBOOKS, 1888-1945 Series 7: FILM, 1931
Arrangement:
Divided into 7 series.
Biographical / Historical:
The Boyd Family Collection consists primarily of correspondence, recruitment and other posters, personal papers, and photographs of a naval surgeon, John C. Boyd, and his son Walter Willard Boyd. Dr. John C. Boyd was a surgeon and medical inspector for the United States Navy. Included in the collection is Boyd's Naval Commission, December 19, 1873, his Patient Case Book 1874-1877, and a Letterpress book of his correspondence with other professionals and military officials. As a naval inspector, he not only examined patients' conditions, but he also inspected the sanitation of the soldier's quarters and other areas aboard naval ships. His son, Dr. Walter Willard Boyd, was a photographer of medical surgeries performed by Dr. Harvey Cushing (1869 1939). Cushing was widely known as the greatest neurosurgeon of the 20th century and his school of neuro surgery was world famous. His contributions to neuroscience were numerous and he was also known as a medical historian. Cushing's biography of Sir William Osler won a Pulitzer Prize in 1926. Boyd interned under Cushing and put together an exhibit at the Bent Brigham Hospital's 30th Anniversary Celebration in honor of Dr. Harvey Cushing's contributions to neuroscience. This collection contains photographs taken by Walter Boyd that were displayed at this exhibit. Dr. Richard U. Light (one of Cushing's last residents and also an avid photographer) and Dr. Boyd filmed Dr. Cushing's 2000th verified brain tumor operation on April 15th, 1931. Two films of this operation are included in the collection. In addition, Scrapbook #3 contains photographs of Dr. Cushing performing operations. Also contained in this collection is a scrapbook outlining the details of a leg accident of Walter Jones Willard. Walter Jones Willard is the son of C.C. Willard, former owner and proprietor of the Ebbitt Hotel and the Willard Hotel, both in Washington, D.C. Walter Jones Willard and his brother Edward were both graduates of Yale University class of 1892 and were members of the prominent Willard family of D.C.
Related Materials:
Some materials from the donor were distributed to other NMAH divisions or to other archival repositories. Princeton University Posters Collection. The Princeton University Library donated this extensive collection of WWI, and WWII materials to the Smithsonian in 1963 and 1967. Photographic scrapbook #4 of Dr. Cushing's operations can be found at the Cyber Museum of Neurosurgery. It was donated to the American Association of Neurosurgery Archives by Dr. Richard U. Light. http://www.neurosurgery.org/cybermuseum/journal/
Provenance:
Donated by Ms. Josephine Carpenter, daughter of Dr. Walter Willard Boyd, Nov. 19, 1999.
Restrictions:
Collection open for research on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Occupation:
Surgeons  Search this
Topic:
Neurosurgeons  Search this
Nervous system -- Surgery  Search this
Museum curators  Search this
Medicine  Search this
Amputation  Search this
United States Navy -- 20th century  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Posters -- United States  Search this
World War, 1914-1918 -- Posters -- United States  Search this
War posters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Letterpress copybooks
Greeting cards
Sympathy cards
Scrapbooks -- 1880-1910
Posters -- World War, 1914-1918 -- United States
Correspondence -- 1900-1950
Citation:
Boyd Family Papers, 1874-1945, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0707
See more items in:
Boyd Family Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep81aa6aadc-9ed5-4c8c-b148-e3220cf367f1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0707