About the Sick City Project

London is a sick city – by history and geography, by chance and necessity. From the malarial creeks of the prehistoric Thames to the stresses and anxieties of modern urban life, sickness and disease have been part of the daily grind for Londoners rich and poor.

A panorama of London seen from the south. Wood engraving by F. J. Smyth, 1845. Wellcome Library, London.

But the history of medicine in London is much more than the history of the medical profession, their institutions and their ideas. It offers a uniquely powerful and moving insight into the lives of Londoners, their hopes and fears, the beliefs that brought them together and the convictions that drove them apart.

The Sick City Project is an anatomy of London’s history, an autopsy on the body of the sick city. Run by medical historian and Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow Dr Richard Barnett, it explores life and death, health and disease in London through walks, talks, podcasts and live events.

Itching to get out on to the streets? Take a Sick City Walk, and uncover forgotten tales of triumph and tragedy in London’s backstreets. Prefer to sit and listen? Download a Sick City Talk, and hear the brightest and best young researchers sharing their work and discussing the future of medical history. And keep an eye on the Sick City Project blog for details of upcoming events in and around London.

You can receive updates on the Sick City Project by following SickCityProject on Twitter, and you can contact us at sickcityproject [at] gmail [dot] com.

The Sick City Project has been developed with funding from a Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowship.