Statement of Significance: Door Segment

 

Figure 1: Photograph of Door Segment
This image highlights the uniqueness of the object as well as its aesthetic
qualities including its vivid colour, asymmetrical composition, and painterly
text.

The Door Segment once functioned as the lock rail of the door leading to Professor William Bayliss’ office in the Department of Physiology at University College London (UCL). Dr. Bayliss was an esteemed professor and famed physiologist who discovered secretin, which was a critical breakthrough in the history of endocrinology (Miles 1924, 448). He also found a treatment for shock which saved countless lives during the first World War (BMJ 1924, 489). It therefore should not be unexpected to acknowledge that the significance of the Door Segment relates to the man who worked behind it. That said, the historical and sociopolitical context of the segment is multifaceted. Dr. Bayliss’ use of vivisection in his experiments and lectures lead to the Brown Dog Affair, which instigated months of rioting in London over the ethical dilemma that was legal vivisection (Baron 1956, 547). The segment then symbolizes this discourse between scientific progress and moral philosophy.

Figure 2: Photograph of Door Segment Front (Exterior)

Figure 3: Photograph of Door Segment Back (Interior)

 

The physical object itself also holds value; it is not only incredibly unique, but also aesthetically pleasing. While it was once a component of a door, it is now a successful object of cultural heritage in and of itself. The vivid colours, asymmetrical composition, and painterly text combine to create a charismatic and satisfying object. A fragment of door is an unusual choice of object to act as a monument to a famous scientist; thus, its rarity enhances the significance of the segment.

Figure 4: Drawing of Potential Door Reconstruction

 

It can be difficult to understand an object that maintains such contrasting meanings simultaneously, i.e., the segment’s relation to both scientific advancement and vivisection. However, these opposing ideas existed contemporaneously and therefore are not mutually exclusive (Muñoz Viñas 2011, 175). It is then the duty of the conservator to understand the tangible significance of this rare object, as well as the intangible personal, historical, and cultural values. The Door Segment's significance is intertwined in its relationship to Dr. Bayliss and his scientific discoveries, as well as the sociopolitical movement that he initiated.

  

 

Baron, J. H. 1956. “The Brown Dog of University College”. The British Medical Journal. Vol. 2, No. 4991. Pp. 547-548. Online. Accessed 10 February 2022. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20359172.

Miles, W. R. 1924. “William Maddock Bayliss – Physiologist”. Science, New Series. Vol. 60. No. 1559. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Online. Accessed 10 February 2022. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1649552.

Muñoz Viñas. 2005. Contemporary Theory of Conservation. London: Butterworth Heinemann. Pp. 171-182. Print.

The British Medical Journal. 1924. “Sir William Bayliss, F.R.S., Professor of General Physiology, University College, London”. The British Medical Journal. Vol. 2, No. 3324. London: BMJ. Pp. 489-490. Online Accessed 10 February 2022. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20437782.