Florence, circa 1860 post-Crimean War
Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820, in Florence, Italy. Yes, that’s where her name came from and it’s only the first interesting thing about her!
Florence’s parents, William and Frances (Fanny) were very wealthy and brought Florence and her sister up as their level of British society expected. Not expected was the astonishing education both girls received from their father, and Florence’s deep interest in nursing. What her parents expected was for Florence to marry well, produce sons, and live a life of a proper Victorian lady.
Florence did not do what was expected.
Florence’s beloved Lea Hurst, go take the virtual tour with the link in the WEB! section below. wikicommons
Mama Fanny’s beloved Embly Park wikicommons
She wanted to work. *GASP!* She wanted to be a nurse. *DOUBLE GASP!* Nurses were *CLUTCH PEARLS* servants! Florence felt nursing could be an honorable and respected profession with just a few tweaks to how it was taught and done. More science and cleanliness; more compassion and care. She tried to live the life her parents wanted for her, but she couldn’t. She snuck off to learn how to be a nurse whenever she could, she self-educated and she kept notes. Oh, so many notes.
When she was well into her 30s, she had not only managed to stay unmarried but she got a position running a small women’s hospital in London then was tapped to lead a team of trained nurses headed to the Crimean War. Florence quickly collected an assortment of qualified women and did just that, landing at the Army hospital in Scutari, Constantinople.
Not the lantern you were thinking of, huh? This replica can be yours from the Florence Nightingale Museum shop
Over the next three years, Florence created and established a new level of care through nursing, managed supplies and personnel for the hospital, and became a hero thanks to the reporters covering the war, her family spreading the word, and soldiers coming home. She was the Angel of the Battlefield, the Lady with the Lamp…she became a natural treasure while she achieved her goal of making nursing a respected profession.
Staffordshire figurine, 1855. White Virgin Mary, right?
When the war was over, she returned home, collapsed into bed and pretty much stayed there for the remainder of her life. But she didn’t stop working. The reports and books that she wrote and the statistical charts she produced based on what she learned during the war revolutionized not only nursing but military and civilian hospitals as well. She founded a school of nursing and another of midwifery and lived her life as far out of the public eye as possible. Florence never did do what was expected of her.
Florence with a class of her nurses in 1886 BBC via wikicommons
Florence Nightingale died on August 13, 1910, at the age of 90.
That’s just so Florence! Paul Hilton, via Find-a-Grave
Time Travel with The History Chicks
BOOKS!
Biographies:
Hugh Small
Florence Nightingale edited by Lynn McDonald
The one Beckett couldn’t remember the author, it’s Hugh Small who has published several Nightingale books
Gillian Gill
Mark Bostridge
Edward Cook
This one, the first biography written about her, The Life of Florence Nightingale by Edward Cook, is also available on Project Gutenberg
Miscellaneous:
Florence Nightingale
This book is also available to read online at upenn.edu Notes on Nursing
Florence Nightingale
Susan said “adult book” but it’s not “xxx adult book” it’s just not for kids unless you’re ready to have these conversations. By Elizabeth Abbott
Kids:
For the Itty Bitties, go buy this to tuck into a Welcome Baby gift: Joan (not “Juan” as Susan said) Holub and Daniel Roode
This one is good for a middle schooler looking for medical inspiration. Susan Latta
WEB!
The Florence Nightingale Foundation provides scholarships to nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom.
If you’re in London, go visit the Florence Nightingale Museum (if you’re not, you can click that link and pretend you’re there, we totally understand.)
You can sleep in Florence’s beautiful childhood home, Lea Hurst in the Peak District! Or, easier and far, far less expensive, you can take a virtual tour of the mansion and grounds here LEA HURST.
Florence’s voice!
If your nerd genre is statistics, this is your site from the American Statistical Association and this is their loving article about Florence’s contribution to the world of Statistics. Also related, an article from Atlas Obsura about Florence’s often overlooked work with statistics
Smithsonian Magazine has an article about an experiment in tracking the spread of cholera in 1850.
We know, you want to vacation in the Italian villa where Florence was born (or just peek inside.) We *think* this is it on VRBO.
TV AND FILM!
The most recent FloNi Drunk History, with Paget Brewster delightfully bantering with Derek Waters:
Elisabeth Moss is developing a movie about Florence and we are so so so so excited! Yes! Florence needs a movie! A good one! Here’s an article about it in Elle, although the date of the piece has us a little concerned.
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