The Papers of John Menzies Campbell

1. Portrait of John Menzies Campbell, Reference MS0286/3.

Explore the history of dentistry in the 18th and 19th centuries through a unique collection housed at the Library and Archives of the Royal College of Surgeons of England: The Papers of John Menzies Campbell. Thanks to the dedication of John and Margaret Menzies Campbell, this remarkable archive offers a rich and varied insight into the evolution of dentistry and dental care and their cultural portrayal over time.

Meet the Collectors: John and Margaret Menzies Campbell

John Menzies Campbell (1887–1974), RSE FDS RCSEd DDS, was a dental surgeon, collector, and medical historian whose lifelong passion for dental history is embodied in his very comprehensive collection. Born in Paisley, Scotland, he studied at St Mungo’s College and the Glasgow Dental School, qualifying as a Licentiate in Dental Surgery (LDS) in 1911. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) in Toronto in 1912 before returning to Glasgow to establish a practice at 14 Buckingham Terrace, where he worked for over 40 years.

It was there he met Margaret Williamson Shirlaw (1893–1990), a surgeon and medical historian in her own right. Margaret graduated MB ChB from the University of St Andrews in 1918 and worked as a house surgeon at Doncaster Royal Infirmary before joining her aunt, Dr Marion Gilchrist, in practice at 5 Buckingham Terrace. John and Margaret married in December 1924 and collaborated throughout their lives on research, writing, and collecting.

2. The operating room in Menzies Campbell’s practice at 14 Buckingham Terrace in Glasgow, Reference MS0286/3.

Together, the Menzies Campbells amassed their archive of dental memorabilia: rare books, instruments, advertisements, caricatures, and ephemera. Their work and interests extended beyond collecting. Margaret researched the history of women in medicine and dental education in Scotland. She endowed lectures at universities, which she stipulated were to be exclusively devoted to the history of dentistry, as well as establishing the Menzies Campbell Lecture Series at the dental schools of Glasgow, Dundee, and Edinburgh. In 1977, she became the first woman to receive an Honorary Fellowship from the Faculty of Dental Surgery at RCS England, and later, the first female Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

John had various research interests and wrote extensively, but he had a particular curiosity for dental pain, regarding it as an entity separate from pain elsewhere in the body. His book A Dental Bibliography, British and American, 1682-1880, is still regarded as a seminal bibliographical work. While Dentistry Then and Now, which ran to three editions, was a collection of his most important historical writings accompanied by illustrations and vignettes. His contribution to the history of dentistry was recognised as early as 1918 when he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 1958, he was named the first Honorary Fellow in Dental Surgery by the Faculty of Dental Surgery at RCS England, a recognition of his important contributions. A year later, he inaugurated a triennial lecture series at the same Faculty, cementing a tradition of historical inquiry and excellence.

3A & 3B. Menzies Campbell became the first Honorary FDS in 1958

The Archives collection

Fascinated by the cultural representations of dentistry, John dedicated his life to collecting rare books, historic dental advertisements, paintings, cartoons, and engravings, dental instruments and dentures, including ivory and human teeth. By the time of his death, his dental memorabilia collection was of a considerable size and was large enough to be standalone exhibition. In 1964, he bequeathed his entire personal library and advertising archive to RCS England, a gift that profoundly enriched the College’s resources for dental scholarship. His collection of objects and dental tools was bequeathed to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

4. “The toothache, or Torment and Torture”, T. Rowlandson, 1823, Reference MS0286/3.

The Papers of John Menzies Campbell collection in the Archives (Reference MS0286) cover a period between 1709 and 1971. The collection is wide ranging in scope and includes, among others, an album of press cuttings about oral hygiene dated from 1930-1931 (MS0286/2), photograph albums of dental themed caricatures, images of the collection’s objects and of general dental historical interest (MS0286/3); a typescript catalogue of the book collection given to the RCS England Library, compiled by Menzies Campbell himself (MS0286/1), an album of odontological advertisements dating from 1709 to 1850 (MS0286/5; see figures 7 and 8 below), and John’s personal scrapbooks. These are indexed and dated, and contain a mix of original and photocopied photographs, illustrations, articles by John and others, obituaries, and material relating to historical figures such as Chevalier Bladen Ruspini, as well as organisations like the Edinburgh Dental Students Association (MS0286/4 and MS0286/6). Another remarkable item is the judges' trial notes from the first known British trial where dental surgeons gave evidence in 1814. (This is Copy no. 8 given to RCS England upon the centenary of the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School in 1979.) Additionally, the archive holds the Menzies Campbells’ certificates of membership of the Swedish Dentists Society from 1965 (MS0286/10) and of his Honorary Fellowship from the Faculty of Dental Surgery from 1958 (MS0286/11, see figure 3 above).

5. Caricature by T. Rowlandson, Reference MS0286/3.

6. “Transplanting of Teeth”, T. Rowlandson, 1787, Reference MS0286/3.

The photographic collection includes several caricatures by satirical artist Thomas Rowlandson (1757-1827), known for his sharp observations and humour. Rowlandson applies his approach to both skilled and unskilled dental practitioners of the period. Figure 5, for example, shows an 1811 caricature of the French dentist Nicolas Dubois de Chemant presenting a model of his artificial teeth and porcelain dentures to a prospective client. The male figure’s open mouth reveals a severely damaged dentition, while the exaggerated proportions of the female patient’s mouth offer a clear view of the dentures, prominently displayed at the centre of the image (Reference: MS0286/3). Figure 6, titled “Transplanting of Teeth” (1787), offers pointed social commentary. It depicts an 18th-century dental surgeon and his assistant removing teeth from impoverished children and transplanting them directly into the mouths of wealthy older patients (Reference: MS0286/3).

Figure 4 shows an illustration titled “The Toothache, or Torment & Torture”, published in August 1787. It’s a satirical take on 18th-century dental practices, which were often rudimentary, unhygienic, and painful. A sign on the wall reads: “Tooth Drawer, I draw teeth without pain and make no bones of it. But this I must say, that those who employ me are very much mistaken if they think I will work for nothing”, highlighting the commercial nature of the profession. The style reflects the conventions of late 18th-century caricature, with exaggerated expressions and compositions used to entertain and provoke. The scene depicts a dentist extracting a tooth from a distressed female patient in a domestic setting. He grips her head and applies a dental instrument as she reacts in visible discomfort. A young boy stands nearby with a bowl and spoon, likely intended to catch blood or the extracted tooth, while an older woman watches anxiously from behind a counter. A dog sits on a stool in the lower left corner, and dried plants hang from shelves and hooks, suggesting a blend of apothecary and dental practice. A birdcage suspended in the top left adds to the domestic clutter. The setting stands in stark contrast to the sterile, clinical environments of modern dentistry.

7 & 8. Dentist advertisements from the 1750s, Reference MS0286/5.

How to consult the collection:

Today, researchers and dental enthusiasts can explore this extensive book collection and personal papers in the Library and Archives of the RCS England, where John and Margaret’s passion continues to inspire. Whether you're a researcher, student, or simply curious about the evolution of oral health, the Menzies Campbell Collection offers a compelling journey through the science, art and culture of dentistry.

This collection is available to everyone for research. It can be consulted in our Research Room at RCS England. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk to book a Research Room appointment.

Maria Christodoulou, Archives Assistant