Health & Wellness

Before the modern medical age, women within many communities served as midwives. In the late 19th century, the rise of formal medical training sparked a change: doctors encouraged women to give birth at hospitals, rather than at home. In the 20th century, medical authority was largely assumed by men until the 1960s when Title IX mandated that all federally funded school programs accept women.

A tintype occupational portrait of a woman, likely a doctor or possibly a nurse or midwife, carrying a medical bag. The woman is standing tall at the center of the image, looking directly at the camera. She carries a medical bag in her proper left hand. Read the Story Behind This Object Vital Midwives

Americans talk about girls' bodies a lot. They have for more than a century. Why? Because girls' bodies are often treated like community property. This video examines how body talk—everything from advice to advertising—has often, but not always, determines what it means to be a girl and steers girls toward certain ideas of womanhood. Learn more in the Girlhood (It's complicated) online exhibition.

Collection Objects

Learn the stories behind these objects or see more health and wellness objects from our collections.

Mary Walker wears the sort of unrestricted clothing she believed was most healthy - a dress with a flared skirt over top of pants.
Collection Item
Dr. Mary Walker
Tantaquidgeon and Nanticoke leaders stand on the steps of the Delaware State Capitol.
Collection Item
Gladys Tantaquidgeon
Painting of Henrietta Lacks standing against a background with a repeating geometric Flower of Life motif. She wears a hat and pearls and she holds a Bible.
Collection Item
Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine
Metal pruning shears with a red plastic grip.
Michelle Obama's Pruning Shears
Three monthly cycles of 20 pills are contained in Ortho’s trademarked DialPak dispenser.
Ortho DialPak Oral Contraceptive
Outdoor scene of an incarceration camp, including telephone wires across the camp, two dwelling units, and a row of trees. There are no people pictured.
Collection Item
Kay Sekimachi's Painting of Tanforan Incarceration Camp

Conversation Kit

Let's Talk! African American Women Medical Professionals

Grades 6–12. Time: Variable (1–2 class periods). Aligned to C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards.

In this lesson students will investigate and discover the importance of African American medical professionals to the African American community. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe how the participation of African American women as midwives, nurses, and physicians has changed over time.

Videos

In New York City's Chinatown, college student Regina Lee and other volunteers organized a neighborhood health fair to improve health literacy in their community. 

Smithsonian American Women book cover.

Smithsonian American Women

Remarkable objects and stories of strength, ingenuity, and vision from the National Collection.

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