The Medical Center Archives is open for all researchers by appointment only. In order to limit the number of people in our building, we have designated Tuesdays and Thursdays as research days. Please contact us to schedule a visit. Patrons using the facility are expected to follow Duke's policies.
Staff are available for remote consultation (M-F) via our online request form. We are happy to assist you in locating digital materials for your research and making digital reference copies when possible. Below are some online resources that are available 24/7.
MEDSpace
If you’re looking for historic images, our digital repository, MEDSpace, is an excellent place to start. It contains nearly 700 photographs documenting the history of Duke Medicine. You can also find early publications, medical illustrations, artwork, and medical artifacts.
- Historical Images Documenting Duke Health
- Duke Health Historical Collections
- Duke Medical Center Publications
Digitized Intercom
The Intercom, Duke Medicine’s primary news publication from 1953 to 1986, featured information about campus events and construction, faculty and staff news, and articles on medical research and innovations at Duke. The first 25 years of this publication have been digitized, making more than 500 issues available online.
Oral History Collection
The Medical Center Archives has a number of rich oral histories dating from the 1960s to the present, some of which are available for research. This program exists to capture the medical center's history in the words of the people who have witnessed or participated in that history. Both the recordings and the transcripts are housed in the Medical Center Archives. Many of the transcripts are available on MEDSpace.
Digital Exhibits
Archives has several digital exhibits about key figures and events in the history of the Medical Center. Some of the topics include the Duke Poison Control Center, Dr. Wilburt C. Davison’s correspondence with Sir William Osler, and women in Duke Health.
DUMC Archives Blog and Instagram
Updated regularly, our blog and Instagram are the places to go for Archives news, to see materials from our collections, and discover stories about the Medical Center’s history.