APhA Foundation Receives Great Moments In Pharmacy Collection

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 23 Oct 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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Pfizer Inc. has gifted to the American Pharmacists Association Foundation, Great Moments in Pharmacy, a collection of 40 paintings depicting a comprehensive history of pharmacy by artist Robert Thom (1915-1979).

"This collection is an inspiring tribute to those throughout history who have dedicated their lives to healing through the profession of pharmacy," said Dr. John A. Gans, CEO of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). "We can't think of a more fitting permanent home for these paintings than APhA Headquarters located on the National Mall in our Nation's Capitol."

"We are delighted that Pfizer selected the APhA Foundation to receive Great Moments in Pharmacy," said American Pharmacists Association Foundation Executive Director and CEO, William Ellis.

"The paintings will be displayed in a gallery that will be part of our expanded and renovated headquarters and are a wonderful addition to pharmacy's home in Washington, DC. This generous gift from Pfizer is a perfect complement to our renovation and development campaign, titled Bringing Your Medicines To Life."

The new APhA headquarters building is currently under construction on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC. and is scheduled for completion in 2009. The gallery that will house the paintings will be located in the original headquarters building that is now under renovation. The original building was designed by renowned architect, John Russell Pope, whose work includes the National Archives, Jefferson Memorial and the Tate Gallery Rotunda in London.

George Griffenhagen, APhA Foundation Curator, was a consultant on the original Great Moments in Pharmacy project and brings an historic perspective to the collection. "APhA has played an important role in the development and utilization of the paintings," according to Griffenhagen. "Thanks to the generosity of Pfizer," Griffenhagen said, "the collection of paintings will now be available for viewing by visitors to the APhA headquarters, for study by historians, and for illustrating books and articles devoted to virtually every aspect of the development of pharmacy."

History of the Collection

The idea for the paintings was conceived by Pharmacist George A. Bender (1904-1985) when he served as editor of the North Western Druggist from 1929 through 1932 and the ultimate commission of the series was funded by Parke-Davis. The paintings remained the property of Parke-Davis until 2000, when Pfizer became the owner after it merged with Parke-Davis. The paintings were completed in the early 1950s by the Michigan-born and Columbus, Ohio, Institute of Fine Arts graduate Robert A. Thom (1915-1979). Both Bender and Thom, as well as a number of pharmacy historians formed a project team that painstakingly researched and developed the story lines for the project over a ten year period.

The first 16 paintings in the Great Moments in Pharmacy series pay tribute to the accomplishments of the apothecaries and their predecessors in Babylon, China, Egypt, Persia and Europe. The remaining 24 paintings are devoted to pharmacy in the Americas, especially in the English colonies and the United States including coverage of the history of the American Pharmacists Association.

The paintings have been displayed at Smithsonian Institution where they were viewed by over 300,000 visitors. Other museums that have exhibited the paintings include the Denver Institute of Arts, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Oriental Institute of Chicago, and the Hotel des Invalides in Paris.

About Pfizer

Founded in 1849, Pfizer is the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company taking new approaches to better health. Pfizer discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers quality, safe and effective prescription medicines to treat and help prevent disease for both people and animals. Pfizer also partners with healthcare providers, governments and local communities around the world to expand access to our medicines and to provide better quality health care and health system support. At Pfizer, more than 90,000 colleagues in more than 90 countries work every day to help people stay happier and healthier longer and to reduce the human and economic burden of disease worldwide.

About the APhA Foundation

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit organization affiliated with the American Pharmacists Association, the national professional society of pharmacists in the United States. The APhA Foundation has expertise in designing programs that seek to create a new medication use system in the United States where patients, pharmacists, physicians and other health care providers collaborate to dramatically improve the cost and quality of consumer health outcomes through the safe and effective use of medications. For additional information: http://www.aphafoundation.org.

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