ExhibitionThe Power of Medicine
Return to Exhibition
- A Henry Street nurse with a Chinese family, 1930s
A nurse from the Henry Street Settlement with a Chinese family in the Bronx, New York, 1930s
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Public health nurses, often hired by community organizations, provided care and instruction to immigrant and poor families in both urban and rural areas.
- “Visits 1905–1935”
The number of patient visits from the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service greatly increased between 1905 and 1935
Courtesy Social Welfare History Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries
By the 1930s, the demand for visiting nurses in New York City increased significantly. Nurses were especially in demand due to the rise of chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
- “Mother’s club,” 1930s
A nurse from the Henry Street Settlement with a parent education class known as a “mother’s club,” New York, 1930s
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Neighborhood women organized in Mothers’ Clubs to share experiences and hear advice from the professional nurses of the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service.
- A nurse teaching infant care, 1930s
A nurse from the Henry Street Settlement teaches proper infant bathing techniques to new mothers, New York, 1930s
Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Visiting nurses from the Henry Street Settlement demonstrated hygiene and baby care techniques to new mothers in the surrounding neighborhoods.