Working on board an aircraft carrier was physically demanding and sometimes dangerous. Day after day, a steady stream of sick and injured crew members visited Intrepid’s medical clinic, called sick bay.
The temporary exhibition On the Mend: Restoring Intrepid’s Sick Bay opens to the public at the Intrepid Museum in New York City Friday, March 25, examines the history of medical care on the ship while also illuminating the Museum’s current efforts to open the ship’s sick bay to visitors.
The centerpieces of the exhibition are three original doors from sick bay, each featuring a medical-themed cartoon painted by sailors. Objects, photographs, archives and oral histories will reveal the complexities of medical care on board an aircraft carrier at sea. Visitors will also explore 360 degree photographs of sick bay, showing the current condition of the ship’s operating room, pharmacy, x-ray room and more.
This exhibition shares the process from conducting research, gathering oral histories, and developing 3D scans of the space to make it more accessible to all visitors. It represents the first phase of a long-term, large-scale project to restore, interpret and open Intrepid’ssick bay.
On the Mend is free with Museum admission. For more information, visit https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/restoring-intrepid-sick-bay.
