Abstract
SummaryThis article explores the historic records of the Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) Archive, a repository of over 500,000 items chronicling the over 165-year history of Britain’s most famous pharmaceutical retailer. It introduces some of the diverse materials present in the collection that would be of interest to social historians of medicine and pharmacy, particularly highlighting resources pertinent to understanding developments in: the formation of pharmaceutical identity; medical advertising; the internationalisation of pharmaceutical and medical retailing; product research and development; and employee welfare. In the light of the recent launch of the first phase of the Boots online catalogue, the article demonstrates ways in which these records could be utilised to better understand the wider social, cultural and political dynamics at play in the development of medicine, health care and pharmacy in Britain over the long twentieth century.
Highlights
Durham Research OnlineCitation for published item: Greenwood, Anna and Ingram, Hilary (2018) 'Sources and resources 'The People's Chemists' : the Walgreens Boots Alliance Archive.', Social history of medicine., 31 (4). pp. 857-869
This article explores the historic records of the Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) Archive, a repository of over 500,000 items chronicling the over 165-year history of Britain’s most famous pharmaceutical retailer
It introduces some of the diverse materials present in the collection that would be of interest to social historians of medicine and pharmacy, highlighting resources pertinent to understanding developments in: the formation of pharmaceutical identity; medical advertising; the internationalisation of pharmaceutical and medical retailing; product research and development; and employee welfare
Summary
Citation for published item: Greenwood, Anna and Ingram, Hilary (2018) 'Sources and resources 'The People's Chemists' : the Walgreens Boots Alliance Archive.', Social history of medicine., 31 (4). pp. 857-869. This article explores the historic records of the Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) Archive, a repository of over 500,000 items chronicling the over 165-year history of Britain’s most famous pharmaceutical retailer It introduces some of the diverse materials present in the collection that would be of interest to social historians of medicine and pharmacy, highlighting resources pertinent to understanding developments in: the formation of pharmaceutical identity; medical advertising; the internationalisation of pharmaceutical and medical retailing; product research and development; and employee welfare. Dating from Boots’ establishment in 1849, the primary archive spans over 165 years of dramatic change in therapies and theories.6 Providing such a long view, it is possible to track a variety of subjects such as: changing fashions for medication; development and stasis in marketing techniques for both pharmaceuticals and self-help remedies; the rise of company pharmacy; the growth of international pharmaceutical research and development; and the rich social and cultural histories of beauty, hygiene and home medication. In the pages that follow, after briefly reminding readers of some of the company’s key dates and areas of interest, five fruitful areas that might stimulate the imaginations of social medical historians have been highlighted as examples: the shaping of pharmaceutical identity; medical advertising; the internationalisation of pharmaceutical and medical retailing; product research and development; and employee welfare
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