UCSF Department of Anesthesia recently received a donation of anesthesia machines, tools, and medications. Despite the artifacts being obviously medical in nature, they are not something clinics can use today, or ever in the future.
The gift came from anesthesiologist Merlin Larson, MD, a UCSF professor emeritus. The artifacts look similar to what you will find in a modern operating room but one medicine’s expiration date–1973–is a clue that these are mid-century tools.
Dani Cambier, Will Kellogg, and Morgen Ahearn, of the Department of Anesthesia, are planning to showcase some of the memorabilia at an upcoming American Society of Anesthesiologists conference alumni event, which will be held in San Francisco.
Instead of lugging the pieces to the event, some of which are more delicate, and heavier than they appear, the team brought on Marco Sanchez, photographer, UCSF Documents and Media, to capture the too
ls’ details and the essence of their time. “One of those gas machines was so unwieldy, and we later found out that it used to be explosive! So, it is much easier to bring a large photo of the machine downtown,” said Cambier.
Carefully staging each piece, Sanchez captures all the different angles, giving the observer a clear view of these older gems.
After the conference, the photographs will find their permanent home in anesthesia offices at Parnassus Heights, though in some cases the physical item will be used.
