A former medical photographer at Doncaster Royal Infirmary celebrated 50 years’ service with Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals on 1 November 2016.
Garry Swann, who is now the Trust’s Archivist, was appointed to set up Doncaster Royal Infirmary’s first Department of Medical Photography in 1966. Although initially concentrated on photography and lecture slide making, in time the department extended its scope to include graphic design and typography services. Over the years the service has won numerous awards for its work.
Now the Trust’s resident archivist, Garry’s interest in the history of DRI began within a few years of his appointment and has continued ever since. In 1973 his book, The Doncaster Royal Infirmary 1792 – 1972, was published. His collections of photographs, documents and other memorabilia have grown steadily over the years and have been the subject of several exhibitions, gracing permanent displays on the walls of the hospital.
On his retirement as Head of Medical Photography and Graphic Design in May 2006, Garry was invited by the then Trust Chairman, Margaret Cox, and Chief Executive, Nigel Clifton, to take on the role of Honorary Archivist to the Trust. He now spends his time collating and cataloguing the many hundreds of items within the archive and dealing with enquiries on historical matters relating to the Trust, while always being on the look-out for new additions to his collections.
Garry said: “I loved my work as a medical photographer and I have been fortunate to be able to continue my interest in the history of local hospitals since I retired. Over the years I have seen many changes in personnel, in hospital practice, and on the hospitals sites themselves. The best interests of our patients, however, have always come first.”
Garry writes a regular column for the Trust’s newsletter, Foundations for Health, and frequently gives talks to local groups on the history of Doncaster Royal Infirmary.