Visitors to Falk Library, located in Alan Magee Scaife Hall, are encouraged to check out these opportunities and displays:
On Display
70 Years of “Scope and Scalpel” (Display Cases, Main Floor and Lower Floor)
Memorabilia ranging from the first med student production of “PSM IV” in 1955 to the most recent productions are on display in anticipation of the PittMed Class of 2025’s spring production, The Little Murmur, this month. Playbills, posters, video, and audio recordings from the Special Collections of Falk Library show off the spoofed movies and TV series over seven decades.
As the Years Go By – Scope and Scalpel Poster Retrospective (Wall Gallery, Lower Floor)
Newly framed posters from the Scope and Scalpel collection adorn the new gallery walls outside the Rare Book Room and Quiet Study Rooms. Braille descriptions are available below each poster.
Scope and Scalpel memorabilia accompany an array of digitized production materials. Selected ones are presented in the Scope and Scalpel online exhibit, and more digitized materials are available through the Scope and Scalpel collection finding aid.
Gifts That Shaped Our Collection (Rare Book Room Window Display, Lower Floor)
This display highlights just four donors among many library supporters over the years to illustrate the scope, importance, value, and beauty of books received for the historical collection through generous donations. Several of the items on display have been previously featured in the Treasures from the Rare Book Room article series, including:
- Bartholin, Thomas: Anatome, donated by T. Osial
- Enderlen, Eugen: Stereoskopbilder zur Lehre von den Hernien, donated by M. Ravitch
- Pirckheimer, Willibald: Apologia seu podagrae laus [First edition], donated by family of G. Rodnan
- Withering, William: An account of the foxglove, and some of its medical uses, donated by J.D. Heard
Nine Ages of Man Sculpture (Study Area, Main Floor)
Nine Ages of Man is a Randolf W. Johnston work from 1970 that was donated to the School of Medicine in 1984 by Peter Winter in honor of Peter Safar, the renouned Pitt Med professor who co-developed CPR and helped establish Pittsburgh’s groundbreaking Freedom House Ambulance Service. The sculpture has been on view for visitors to Alan Magee Scaife Hall, and during building construction is on loan for temporary display in Falk Library.
While our focus is on the Pitt Health Sciences community, all Pitt affiliates are welcome to participate. Unless otherwise noted, all activities and displays are available during Falk Library Operating Hours.