Step Into the Story
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Discover the Artifacts
Explore AIR’s growing collection of medical instruments, surgical equipment, institutional objects, and other pieces from America’s healthcare history. Each artifact offers a physical connection to the people, practices, and institutions that helped shape medicine as we know it today.
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Explore Their Stories
Go beyond the objects to discover where these artifacts came from, how they were used, and the people and institutions connected to them. Through historical research and documentation, AIR reveals the stories each artifact carries and the role it played in America’s medical past.
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Preserve the Legacy
Learn how AIR documents, protects, and restores medical artifacts so their history is not lost. Through careful preservation and public education, we ensure these important objects and the stories behind them remain accessible to future generations.
Wilmot castle Major surgical light no. 12
The Wilmot Castle Model No. 12 Major Surgical Light is a striking example of early twentieth-century operating-room technology, believed to date from the late 1930s or early 1940s. Manufactured by the Wilmot Castle Company, the multi-lamp fixture was designed to provide broad, concentrated illumination during surgical procedures. To AIR’s knowledge, AIR is currently the only educational institution in the United States preserving and interpreting this rare model as part of an educational collection. The approximately 64-pound light is currently rechargeable while AIR develops plans for safe AC wiring and a historically respectful mounting system. One handle is partially damaged and will require additional restoration. Once completed, the light will serve as a centerpiece for interpreting the evolution of surgical technology and the changing environment of American operating rooms.
Click the buttons below to explore the light’s history and restoration, or to inquire about renting it for a film, photography, exhibition, or special-event production.
Cavitron-Burton Wall/Ceiling-Mounted Medical Light
Dating from approximately the mid-1970s to early 1980s, this Cavitron-Burton medical light was designed to be mounted to a wall or ceiling and positioned using its articulated support arm. Its polished reflector and adjustable head provided concentrated illumination for examinations or minor clinical procedures. Although its exact model and original setting remain unknown, the surviving manufacturer’s label connects the artifact to Burton’s long history of specialized medical lighting.