The Antibiotic Revolution: Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum Curator Shares a Slice of History

Author Kevin Brown established and curated the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum in London. He tells listeners about

• the process of collecting special pieces and information to create an effective display,
• some lesser-known details about Fleming's life and discoveries, and
• perspective on how health and medicine history impacts current mindsets.

Among other books, Kevin Brown authored Penicillin Man: Alexander Fleming and the Antibiotic Revolution. In this conversation he talks about what it's like to be a historian in this sciences.

He tells listeners that he studies the history of medicine because it's a subject which affect most of us—he is studying at a wider history that's also political and societal and affects all of us on a daily level.

He adds that the communication of history is where he wants to be: he likes explaining the stories to people, feeling like he is walking in the footsteps of health and medicine history. He comments that there's an excitement that comes to talking to visitors and seeing the excitement in their eyes—perhaps inspiring some to be the Alexander Flemings of tomorrow.

He continues with details of setting up the museum, procuring items, accepting special loans, and writing the material. Fleming's son gave the museum some items, in fact, and is a great supporter of the project. Brown shares the story of the summer Fleming made the infamous penicillin discovery, including details about other project of Fleming that lead to his mindset at the time. He also gives some perspective of the scientific mind and health and medicine history from the ancient Greeks to current ways we handle knowledge.

For more, see the museum web site at https://fleminglaboratory.wordpress.com/ and email Kevin Brown through the museum at Kevin.Brown@imperial.nhs.uk.