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First Aid Kit

1939-1940 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This small first aid kit was given to Lionel Hemsley when he began his schooling in 1939. It later belonged to his elder sister, Coral, who crossed out his name on the top of the tin and inside its leather case.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 6 parts.

  • Case
  • Box
  • Box
  • Box
  • Bandage
  • Bandage
Materials and techniques
Leather, ink, paint; lithographed tinplate; printed card; woven cotton
Brief description
First aid kit consisting of a leather case, tin box, two packs of Elastoplast and two rolls of bandages; made in Great Britain, 1930s
Physical description
The case is of soft tan leather, it closes with a flap at the top. Its front has been decorated with the words 'First Aid', handwritten in black ink, and a white cross on a red ground, drawn in black ink and coloured-in with red ink and with white paint. Inside the closure is written the donor's name in capital letters, his first name has been crossed out. Half of the press-stud which would have closed the flap is now missing.

The tin box is brass-coloured, with a black lithographed lid opening on a hinge. At the top left corner of the lid, the donor's name has been scratched in capital letters, his first name having later been crossed out several times. Inside the tin are two boxes for Elastoplast (both empty): medium and small size. There are also two bandage rolls which have not been opened.
Dimensions
  • Tin depth: 8.8cm (closed)
  • Tin width: 11cm (closed)
  • Tin height: 3cm (closed)
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'LIONEL / HEMSLEY' (Written inside leather case, in black ink.)
  • 'First Aid' (Written in black ink on front of leather case.)
  • 'CLAYTON (SURGICAL & FIRST AID) LTD. / [illegible] Clayton / LONDON S.E.13' (Lithographed on lid)
  • 'LIONEL / HEMSLEY' (Scratched into lid of tin)
Credit line
Given by Lionel Hemsley
Object history
The first aid kit was given to Lionel Hemsley when he started boarding at Chipping Campden School in 1939. It later belonged to his sister Coral (b.1931), who scratched out Lionel’s name. It was given to the Museum in 2016 [2016/829].
Summary
This small first aid kit was given to Lionel Hemsley when he began his schooling in 1939. It later belonged to his elder sister, Coral, who crossed out his name on the top of the tin and inside its leather case.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
B.21-2016

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Record createdSeptember 30, 2016
Record URL
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