Explore the Collections
The Boston Children’s Hospital Archives is home to thousands of documents, images, and artifacts that record and reflect the history of the hospital. The processed collections are grouped into categories, based on provenance (where they came from) or format (type of material) and include archival collections, manuscript collections, publications, oral histories, photographs, subject and biographical files, and artifacts. See the collections menu to learn more about each type of collection and how to access them.
Digital collections
In an effort to increase access to the archives, select digital collections are available via our online portal, which users can search and browse from anywhere.
Archival collections
Archival collections are groups of materials that come from a particular institution, department, or working group and often include administrative records about the daily operations of that site or group.
Manuscript collections
Manuscript collections are made up of materials assembled by an individual or family over the course of their work in a specific place, period of time, or over an entire career. They may contain personal writings and correspondence, or research materials from an individual’s area of specialization.
Publications and annual reports
The publication collection is made up of publications created internally by and for Boston Children’s Hospital and its affiliates. Types of publications include annual reports, newsletters, magazines, memos and blogs. For a complete list of publications we collect, please contact the archives.
Annual reports are publications an organization, company or department circulates to stakeholders as a record of the organization’s achievements and developments in a given year.
Oral histories
Oral histories are interviews actively recorded and transcribed by the Archives Program to supplement our collections with eyewitness accounts of the hospital’s history. The Oral History Project captures stories from physicians, researchers, nurses, administrators, trustees and other non-clinical personnel.
Oral histories are available online through our user portal.
Photographs
The photographs collection contains physical and digital images of various formats spanning 1860 to 2010 with a heavy skew for images created before 2000.
Some photographs are available via our user portal. For undigitized photographs, see “services” for information on how to make a request.
Subject and bio files
Biographical files are groups of collected materials pertaining to a specific individual within the Boston Children’s community. May contain newsclippings, biographical information forms, news releases, memoranda, pamphlets, correspondence, articles, and other items pertaining to said person’s life and career. Organized alphabetically, with a scope of 1860 to the present, with a major skew of materials that predate the year 2000.
Subject files are groups of collected materials pertaining to a specified topic relevant and significant to Boston Children’s history including but not limited to; hospital departments and divisions, programs and clinics, events, organizations, campus buildings and spaces (including satelites), technology, diseases and conditions, partner institutions. May contain brochures, flyers, newsclippings, biographical information forms, news releases, memoranda, pamphlets, correspondence, articles, and other items. Organized alphabetically, with a scope of 1860 to the present, with a major skew of materials that predate the year 2000.
For these materials, see “services” for information on how to make a request.