The Fitzrovia Chapel is proud to announce its upcoming exhibition, In Uniform: Stories of Nurses and their Clothing, an insightful and moving exploration of the history and significance of nurses’ uniforms. Curated by Freya Bently and renowned textile historian Dr Jo Horton, this exhibition delves into the complex narratives woven into the fabrics, designs, and accessories that have adorned generations of nurses.
DATE SHOWN
Set in a former hospital chapel, the exhibition reflects on the vital role nurses play in our society, with the uniform emerging as a powerful symbol of authority, care, and professionalism. Visitors are invited to explore their own connections to nurses and their attire, fostering a renewed respect for the materials and craftsmanship that have shaped the visual identity of the nursing profession.
In Uniform: Stories of Nurses and their Clothing examines the multifaceted nature of the nurse’s attire, tracing its evolution from ecclesiastical and military roots to modern, functional garments. Through carefully selected items such as the chatelaine, cap, collar, belt buckle, apron, and the iconic nurses’ cape, the exhibition reveals the practical, emotional, and social significance of these garments.
Special highlights include a striking piece from fashion designer Pam Hogg’s Spring/Summer 2024 Collection Apocalypse, juxtaposed with a World War I nurse’s uniform worn by Elizabeth Satchwell, providing a poignant contrast between past and present. The exhibition also features unique figurines by noted doll-makers Robin and Nell Dale, usually housed in the Royal College of Nursing archives.
Pam Hogg said: “The red cross image is iconic, it’s symbolic of trust and hope so it was my most immediate thought when I started designing my collection in November 2023. I had a feeling of impending doom, so I titled it Apocalypse, immediately visualising a glorious line of nurses as guardian angels emblazoned with this simple balanced and vitally recognisable insignia.”
The exhibition also sheds light on the lived experiences of nurses, from the rigorous dress codes enforced by figures such as the Fitzrovia Chapel’s own doyenne, Godiva Marian Thorold, to the subtle acts of subversion by nurses seeking comfort and personal expression within the constraints of their uniforms. Visitors will encounter stories of pride, discomfort, and adaptation, all underscored by the powerful connection between clothing and identity.
The Fitzrovia Chapel, once part of the Middlesex Hospital — a beloved training hospital that served central London for over 200 years — became a pilgrimage site for former nurses after the hospital was sold and demolished in 2006. This was the chief inspiration for the exhibition, as co-curator Freya Bently explained: “The returning nurses often reminisced about their time there, with stories of their uniforms serving as a common thread — recalling the folding of hats, being scolded for a skirt that was too short, or receiving a belt-buckle at graduation.”
The Fitzrovia Chapel aims to crystallise these anecdotes within the chapel, the last remaining building of the hospital. As the Middlesex and its strict clothing rules fade into history, the exhibition invites audiences to explore the sartorial shift from past to present and examine the contemporary image of the nurse. Despite the practical scrubs worn by nurses today, reference to the capes, crosses and caps of the past linger in fashion and media.
Madeleine Boomgaarden, Director of The Fitzrovia Chapel, said: “As a former hospital chapel, this exhibition of nurses’ uniforms is an important part of our history and the memories of so many nurses, doctors—and patients—who still visit the Fitzrovia Chapel.”
“We hope this exhibition will inspire a deeper appreciation of the role uniforms play, not just in professional settings, but in the broader cultural landscape. Nurses’ uniforms are more than just garments; they are symbols of resilience, compassion, and innovation,” added curator Jo Horton.
Now a heritage building and cultural arts venue, the Fitzrovia Chapel, once a religious space, continues to showcase icons in its exhibitions. In Uniform offers a thought-provoking examination of the iconic nurse’s uniform and the stories of those who wore it.
OVERVIEW
The exhibition In Uniform: Stories of Nurses and Their Clothing (8 November – 1 December 2024) at Fitzrovia Chapel offered a thoughtful and often moving exploration of more than 140 years of nursing attire. Presented within the former chapel of the Middlesex Hospital, the display brought together uniforms, capes, hats and memorabilia that traced the evolution of nursing dress from the strict silhouettes of the Victorian era to the practical scrubs worn in hospitals today. The setting carried particular resonance, as many visitors had personal or professional connections to the hospital and its long history of care.
The exhibition charted the changing meanings of the nursing uniform, presenting garments from the 1880s through to the 2020s. Starched aprons, folded caps and heavy wool capes spoke of earlier traditions of discipline and hierarchy, while contemporary scrubs suggested a shift towards comfort, practicality and the realities of modern clinical work. Alongside these objects were personal recollections and anecdotes that revealed the everyday experiences behind the uniform, from the careful folding of caps to the inevitable ink stains and signs of long shifts on the ward.
Drawn partly from the archives of the Royal College of Nursing, the exhibition also included unexpected cultural references, such as a piece from the spring summer 2024 collection by British fashion designer Pam Hogg, inspired by the iconic red cross associated with nursing. Together these objects highlighted how nursing dress has functioned not only as practical workwear but also as a symbol of authority, professionalism and compassion.
In Uniform ultimately offered both a historical survey and a tribute to the resilience and dedication of nursing staff. By placing these garments within the richly decorated interior of Fitzrovia Chapel, the exhibition created a reflective space in which the material culture of nursing could be appreciated not simply as clothing, but as a record of care, identity and service across generations.
ABOUT
Freya Bently is Culture and Community Manager at the Fitzrovia Chapel, where she leads the programming of projects, partnerships and events that honour the Chapel’s history as a place of solace, nurturing and reflection. She first visited the Chapel in 2016 and has been captivated by it ever since, a feeling she now enjoys watching others discover for the first time.
Freya graduated from the University of Glasgow with an MA (Hons) in History of Art, developing a specialist interest in dress and textiles history after researching lace in the archives of the Burrell Collection during an academic placement in her third year. Her dissertation, “The Museum, the Web and the Wardrobe: ‘Make Do and Mend’ and the Crafting of Cultural Memory,” reflects an ongoing fascination with the stories that garments hold and the ways in which they shape collective memory. Prior to joining the Chapel full time in January 2023, she completed an internship with the Fleece to Fashion team, supporting the public engagement project “Knit a Margaret Klein Pattern” through cataloguing and analysis of samples and research knitter feedback.
In Uniform: Stories of Nurses and Their Clothing is her second exhibition at the Chapel, following her curation of The Terry Higgins Memorial Quilt, and brings together her academic background in textile history with her deep personal connection to the Chapel and its community.
Dr Jo Horton is a textile designer, maker and materials historian. She holds an MA in Fashion and Textiles from the University of Central England in Birmingham and a PhD from De Montfort University, awarded in 2018. She is Honorary Research Fellow at De Montfort University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Her research sits at the intersection of material culture, women’s history and the social life of garments, and it is this expertise that makes her a natural fit for In Uniform. As Caird Research Fellow at the National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich, she investigated how personal adaptation of uniforms may have influenced both the perception and functionality of women’s dress in increasingly demanding wartime roles, with oral histories forming a central part of her methodology.
