Rare Footage of Severance Hospital from 1927 to 1935 Restored
Commemorating the 140th Anniversary of Jejungwon’s Founding
A rare film capturing scenes of Severance Hospital from 1927 to 1935 has been released. The footage shows Severance Hospital as it appeared over 100 years ago, filmed by a medical missionary.
On April 25, the Dong Eun Medical Museum at Yonsei University College of Medicine unveiled images of Severance Hospital from around 1930 to mark the 140th anniversary of Jejungwon, the predecessor of Severance Hospital.
The newly released film was shot by missionary Norman Pound during his medical and educational activities at Severance Hospital from 1927 to 1935. The Dong Eun Medical Museum digitally restored the 9.5mm film, which was donated by Pound's descendants.
Children patients in the pediatric ward of Severance Hospital. Yonsei University College of Medicine Dong Eun Medical Museum
The footage features the pediatric ward at Severance Hospital and Dr. Douglas B. Avison. It vividly captures various scenes, including children in the ward drinking milk and nurses caring for patients.
Dr. Douglas B. Avison was the son of Oliver R. Avison, who played a major role in the development of Severance Hospital and Korean medicine. As a medical missionary with the American Northern Presbyterian Church, he was appointed as a professor at Severance Union Medical College in 1923. Upon his appointment, he established the Department of Pediatrics as an independent division at Severance and served as its first head. He also researched treatments for malaria, which was widespread in Joseon at the time.
Norman Pound captured various scenes from the medical field, such as medical students and professors heading to a graduation ceremony, as well as nurses and nursing students. At that time, nurses and nursing students could be distinguished by their attire: nurses wore a cap with a band at the bottom, while students wore plain caps without decorations.
A nurse caring for a pediatric ward patient. Yonsei University College of Medicine Dong Eun Medical Museum
In addition to the medical scenes, the footage shows people’s attire in downtown Seoul and the making of kimchi at the hospital, reflecting the period when Severance Hospital was located in front of Seoul Station.
Kim Sehun, director of the Dong Eun Medical Museum, stated, "This historical material clearly testifies to the continuity of modern Korean medicine, which began with the founding of Jejungwon in 1885 and continued through Severance and Yonsei Medical Center." He added, "Norman Pound, the missionary at Severance Hospital, served as a model medical professional who not only practiced medicine, education, and research but also contributed to historical documentation. This demonstrates the roots of Yonsei Medical Center’s current philosophy of 'humanitarian medicine'?saving people through compassionate medical care." He further noted, "Through digital restoration, we plan to make wide use of this material for academic research, exhibitions, and educational resources."
This footage can be viewed on the Severance YouTube channel and Severance Instagram.
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