Display of Harold Gillies’ Bust in The RCS

The BAPRAS Collection are very pleased to announce that the bust of Sir Harold Gillies has gone on public display on the 4^th floor Atrium in the RCS, near the BAPRAS office.  Many of our members will have already ‘met’ Gillies, as he was formally unveiled at our 75^th anniversary event, BAPRAS 75.  The bust is a facsimile of that which stands in The Peace Garden in the War Memorial Park, Basingstoke.  Both busts were created by sculptor Julia Beer, who was present for the BAPRAS unveiling in December 2021.

The sculpture in Basingstoke was unveiled in 2018 to mark International Peace Day, like the BAPRAS sculpture is pays tribute to the work Gillies did to help soldiers recover physically and mentally from injuries.  The BAPRAS sculpture was presented to the Association by the Rooksdown Club, an organisation initiated to help rehabilitate individuals with disfigurement, and support them as they integrated back into society.  The Rooksdown Club was operational from 1945 until 2021.  The presentation of BAPRAS’ Gillies bust was one of its last acts, making the sculpture even more poignant.

If you would like to know more about the work of Harold Gillies, the Rooksdown Club, or anything else from The BAPRAS Collection then please email collection@bapras.org.uk

The BAPRAS Collection is constantly growing. We want it to represent all aspects of British Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic surgery, including member experience in any sphere of plastic surgical activity, from any time period, and from any country.  If you have something relating to your practice or professional experiences which you think should be preserved for study and posterity; or you have a story to tell then please get in touch.