Nursing Cap Collection at the Museum of Nursing History
The nurse’s cap originated in the early Christian Era as a head covering for deaconesses that cared for the sick. During the 1800’s, head coverings evolved into the more familiar white cap that was first used by Florence Nightingale.
Around 1874, the Bellevue Training School in New York City adopted a special nursing cap to identify nurses who had graduated from Bellevue.
Other nursing schools also developed unique caps as a way to identify the graduate nurse and her school of nursing. The cap collection consists of 85 caps on display and continues to grow.
The Museum of Nursing History’s large nursing cap collection which showcases different styles of nursing caps worn throughout the decades. See the cap collection at the Museum housed at La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA.
- Johns Hopkins Hospital – Graduate
- Johns Hopkins Hospital – Student
- Philadelphia General Hospital – double frill
- Williamsport Hospital
- Penn State University
- Philadelphia School District Student LPN
- Fairleigh-Dickinson University
- LPN Philadlelphia School District
- Thomas Jefferson University – Student
- Pennsylvania General Hopital
- First year student cap Bucks County Grandview
- Philadalphia General Hospital School of Nursing-student cap
- Montgomery County Community College
- Donated by Catherine Harman (Unkown Origin)
- Misericordia Hospital school of Nursing
- Bryn Mawr
- Unknown
- Henry Street Settlement House, NYC
- Episcopal Hospital, Philadelphia
- Easton Hospital School of Nursing
- Our Lady of Angels
- Our Lady of Angels
- Unknown
- University of Pennsylvania BSN program
-
Potmac Valley Hospital School of Nursing
Gift from Elma Wilcox
- St Marys Hospital
- Hunter College Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing (NYC)
- Hospital of University of Pennsylvania
- Thomas Jefferson University Graduate Cap
- Grand View Hospital
- Mt. Sinai, NYC
- Germantown Hospital
- Mt. Sinai – Philadelphia
*Pictures taken at the Museum of Nursing History in 2008 by Susan Fuchs.