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Creation Date
1930
Description
James Murphy's laboratory on the second floor in the New North Building (now Theobald Smith Hall), 1930
Courtesy of James Slater Murphy
A new laboratory building, initially called New North, then North, and now Theobald Smith Hall, was erected in 1929. Murphy's group occupied the east end of the second floor. In December 1930 he described its features in a letter to his friend Professor Archibald Leitch:
"Our new laboratory is going to be a big improvement. I have a lot of time to the plans and I am sure it is worth it. The special stunt is having what we call a biological service unit coming out between the windows, In the end of this is a sink, glass shelves in the middle for bottles, outlets for gas, electricity, compressed air, vacuum and distilled water. This unit makes it possible for each man with his working space in front of the windows and have all the laboratory services and supplies within easy reach...The cold room is equipped with vacuum and air pressure, gas and centrifuge, so that almost any laboratory procedure can be carried out. It also has a freezing compartment and two other boxes where the degree of coldness can be varied. In the finishing some consideration has been give to looks, so that it will not be as aggressively ugly as most laboratories are." ---Letter courtesy of the American Philosophical Society Archives, James B. Murphy Papers
Keywords
James B. Murphy, RIMR, pathology, exhibit