Florence Nightingale: Myth and Celebrity

Dr Richard Bates analyses the celebrity status and abiding legacy of Florence Nightingale in historical culture since the Crimean War.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) was a legendary figure in her own lifetime and one of the most famous women in British history. Her efforts during the Crimean War (1854-56) set the standards for modern nursing and, throughout her life, she continued to advocate for improved sanitary conditions in both military and civilian hospitals.

During her time in Scutari (in modern-day Istanbul), Nightingale earned the nickname ‘the Lady with the Lamp’. This image captured the public's imagination and she quickly became a celebrity, with notable figures such as American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalising her in his poem ‘Santa Filomena.’

Dr Richard Bates will explore how the championing of Florence Nightingale reflects several social shifts taking place in the Victorian era, including the public's relationship with war and soldiers, attitudes toward nursing and healthcare, and women's ability to assume positions of responsibility and leadership.

About the speaker

Dr Richard Bates is a lecturer in 19th- and 20th-century medical history at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of ‘Psychoanalysis and the Family in 20th-Century France’ and the co-author of ‘Florence Nightingale at Home’.