Gavin Willshaw

ALT Sepia portrait photograph of a white, upper/middle class woman in victorian dress, facing to the right. She is posed as if writing on a piece of paper. The photo itself is oval shaped set in the centre of a plain white mount, now yellowed with age.

ALT photograph of a small dark brown varnished wooden box with metal fixtures, alongside an ornately decorated sheet of paper with a written address to Sophie Jex-Blake. In 1869 Sophia Jex-Blake (1840-1912) was determined to study medicine at Edinburgh University though its doors were still closed to women. After a bitter struggle, which divided the faculty and ended with Miss Jex-Blake suing the University unsuccessfully in the Court of Session, she moved to Berne to qualify. In 1889, however, largely as a result of her struggles, degrees for women were sanctioned by Act of Parliament. Grateful students of the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women presented her with this address on 3rd November 1894. The casket was made for the presentation and the silver decoration includes the initials SJB in monogram.

ALT Certificate presented to Sophie Jex Blake. Text reads: We tthe undersigned students of the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women desire to acknowledge our deep gratitude to Dr Sophia Jex-Blake for her constant labour and self-sacrifice in the cause of the Medical Education of Women. We would also tender to her our sincerest congratulations upon the success which has crowned her efforts - The granting to Women the Medical Degree of the University of Edinburgh.

ALT Black and white image of the death mask of William Burke overlaid with the image of his skull, showing where his features match up.

ALT Hand illustrated page, 1645-54, showing an image of a finely-dressed man bowing to a woman as he takes her hand. Two sections of text dealing with the topic of love frame the image. The text along the top of the page is in Latin, and the text along the bottom is in German.

ALT Nine conical shells inside a small palm-sized cardboard box that is being held by a white cotton gloved hand. Written on the inside of the box in ink are the location the specimens were collected from (St Helena) and name of the specimen collector (Charles Darwin).

ALT Photograph of a photography studio set up. A saxophone is propped upright as if freestanding, illuminated by the surrounding softbox lights, a large camera on a tripod to the left, faces at the instrument.

ALT A blue, white and green graphic poster which reads: you risk getting HIV by sharing needles or syringes, having unprotected sex. You Can't get HIV from: Giving blood, insect bites, glasses, cutlery, towels, toilet seats, shaking hands, sharing meals, cups, kissing.

ALT Poster with various photographs of spots around Lothian area, including a car, towerblocks, the forth road bridge, greenery, and a graffitied wall. Text reads in bold red and yellow graphic print: Lothian recognises AIDS concerns us all. Lothian regional council.

ALT Poster for world aids day, a large red ribbon is tied around a globe. Text below reads: World AIDS day on the internet, 1st december. http:www.wad.hea.org.uk

ALT A graphic, artistic poster, black rubber or satin like material fills the background, in front are the words "lovely latex" in large bold script font, in the centre is a swirled pink yellow and green circle, an image of a condom as viewed from the end downwards.

ALT A yellowed page from a book, in the centre is an illustration of two partridges on some grass, a male and a female.

ALT A glass photographic slide containing a close up black and white images of a pear tree. Printed text to the side reads T.J. Walls, Optician, 12 Forrest Rd. Edinr.