Lost Art of Nursing
Lost Art of Nursing Museum Collection
Donated to the International Museum of Surgical Science by Melodie Chenevert, RN, MN, MA
WWI Red Cross Nurse extending hand. Artist: Harrison Fisher
Lost Art of Nursing Museum - On View at the International Museum of Surgical Science
Donated in 2023, The Lost Art of Nursing Collection of artworks, memorabilia and artifacts help tell the story of nursing’s history.
During WWI and WWII, nurses played a crucial role in military medicine by caring for wounded soldiers on the frontlines and in field hospitals. Governments used posters and advertisements to recruit women into nursing services by portraying the nurses as patriotic heroes, shaping public perception of women’s roles during wartime.
Collected and donated by Melodie Chenevert as well as other pieces of artwork, memorabilia, and artifacts in the Lost Art of Nursing exhibit are assorted Red Cross Uniforms from the 1940s and WWII. Over 59,000 Army Nurses and 14,000 Navy Nurses had volunteered to serve by the end of WWII, providing essential medical support.
Also featured in the exhibit is a display honoring Edith Cavell, a British WWI Red Cross nurse who treated wounded soldiers from both sides and helped over 200 Allied soldiers escape German-occupied Belgium. She was arrested and executed by a German firing squad and became an international symbol of bravery and sacrifice.
Included in the collection is a set of Cherry Ames books, which were part of a 1943 campaign aimed at inspiring girls to become nurses during WWII. Cherry, a fictional young nurse, took on a variety of roles and combined elements of mystery, romance, and patriotic duty. The collection also features other vintage children’s books and nursing-related items.
It also includes three books about Black nurses and a figure of Mary Eliza Mahoney, who was the first licensed African American nurse. These works honor the legacy and impact of Black women in medicine and military service. The stories in these books highlight the deep inequalities that Black nurses faced as they fought for representation within a system that often struggled to include them.
A 1920s Red Cross poster conveys a powerful message without needing much explanation. A nurse emerges from a stormy background, holding a scroll that identifies her as the “Red Cross of Peace,” a symbol of healing following the chaos of WWI. The poster not only emphasizes medical care but also portrays nurses as guardians during wartime. It promotes nursing as a profession that encompasses not just treatment, but also service, sacrifice, and strength. This period is depicted as one that is both destructive and filled with compassion.
Meet Donor & Collector: Melodie Chenevert, Author, Curator, and Director of Pro Nurse
Growing up in Iowa, Melodie Chenevert graduated high school in 1959, where she excelled at math and science. At the time of her graduation, “Smart young women were steered toward teaching or nursing”
Melodie adores writing, a passion pushed away as she excelled so greatly at nursing. This passion revived itself years after graduation leading her to eventually complete her M.A in Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Maddison.
Melodie wrote STAT (Special Techniques and Assertiveness Training for Women in the Health Professions), Pro-Nurse Handbook: Designed for the Nurse Who Wants to Survive/Thrive Professionally, and Mosby's Tour Guide to Nursing School: A Student's Road Survival Kit. Additionally, she produced a children's coloring book What do Nurses do?
Following the release of her books Melodie found herself speaking professionally, conducting keynote and workshops in 49 of the 50 states. These workshops took her to England, Australia, and even Japan.
In 1981, Melodie founded Pro-Nurse, an organization created with the intention of supporting nurses emotionally and professionally. Through Pro-Nurse, Melodie helped provide overburdened nurses with products and services designed with professional pride and productivity in mind.
Melodie's office at Pro-Nurse was essentially the first location of The Lost Art of Nursing, as Melodie covered her office walls with framed posters and nursing trinkets. After many remarks on her little office “museum” Melodie went on to open a full fledged nursing museum out of her home in Cannon Beach, Oregon. After 10 years of wonderful memories Melodie decided to donate her collection to The International Museum of Surgical Science where it is once again open to the public.