It was a big thing back in the 1940s. Because nobody had expected them to ever sit up. Those men who had been wounded during the War had maybe been lying in a hospital bed for three or four years without moving.

Joan Newton, nurse at the Centre from 1948 to 1952

National Spinal Injuries Centre Timeline

1830s: First hospital established as a ‘cholera’ hospital built away from residential areas to avoid the spread of disease.

1939: Buildings added for civilian wartime casualties. Few civilians are treated and the site begins is used for the rehabilitation of military casualties.

1943: Government approached Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann to establish the National Spinal Injuries Centre here, which opens 1st February 1944.

1948: First ‘Stoke Mandeville Games’ held coinciding with the London Olympics. They became an annual event.

1952: The first ‘international’ competition at Stoke Mandeville when a team from the Netherlands competes.

1960: The IXth International Stoke Mandeville Games, now seen as the first Paralympic Games, are held in Rome.

1961: Dr Guttmann founds the Paraplegic Sports Endowment Fund leading to a specialist stadium at Stoke Mandeville opened by the Queen in 1969.

1979: Weather damages the Centre and it is decided to close it. Patients protest, including chaining themselves to radiators. The decision is reversed, and fundraising begins for a new Centre.

1983: The new National Spinal Injuries Centre is opened by HRH the Prince of Wales.

Showcase 1

Object captions:

1. The Cord Journal for Paraplegics, 1952 - this copy of The Cord features plans for the first International Stoke Mandeville Games in 1952, to become known later as the Paralympics.
2. The Cord, 1963 - with Dr Guttmann's support patients set up The Cord in 1949 as a means of keeping in touch. It became international, continuing today under a different name.
3. The Cord 21st Anniversary Issue, 1963.
4. 'Aspects of Patient Care' Booklet, 1968 - from the outset the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) was continuously looking for improvements in patient care.
5. Nursing Mirror, 1975 - this edition featured the NSIC and its sports rehabilitation for spinal injuries.
6. Order of Service for the funeral of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann, 1980 - Dr Guttmann's funeral took place in London and was featured in the national papers.
7. National Spinal Injuries Centre, Children's Badge - these badges were given to child patients. The triangle design reflects the roof of the Centre.
8. Dr Guttmann's Teaching Slides - Dr Guttmann's innovative work and that of his successors influenced the care of spinal patients internationally.
9. Ear Nose Diagnostic Kit - an early ear, nose and throat examination kit from the NSIC.
10. Christmas Card signed by Dr Guttmann - this card features the early Stoke Mandeville Stadium built for Wheelchair sports.