Kristen Frederick-Frost (National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution), "It’s rad but radioactive: the dilemma of Robert Abbe’s medical radium"
The National Museum of American History has a collection of objects related to the work of Dr. Robert Abbe [1851-1928], a critical figure in early radiation therapy. Recent research has uncovered information about how these objects were used and led to an awareness of their uniqueness. But it also raised questions about how far museums should (and can) go to preserve such artifacts. Kristen is looking forward to discussing her work to better understand Abbe’s objects and hopes to engage the working group in a conversation about how we can deal with complex collections whose reach is significantly restricted due to their hazardous nature.