Name: Bloody Barbers and Splattered Surgeons
Start: 2025-04-05T14:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-04-05T15:00:00+01:00
Location: Beckett Street, LS9 7LN Leeds, United Kingdom

Barber Surgeons: They’d pull your teeth and trim your beard – now we’re bringing them to life!
Barber surgeons were the medical and grooming experts of the Middle Ages, attending to all manner of physical ailments. These early medical professionals did everything from bloodletting and tooth-pulling to assisting in childbirth, making them the ultimate “handymen” of their day.
Join us on a journey from Roman York to Medieval London as we unravel the origins and evolution of this historical jack-of-all-trades. This 40-minute seated talk, held in our Victorian operating theatre, will be complemented by rarely-seen objects from the museum’s collection.
This might make you think twice before your next trip to the hairdresser.
The talk will be followed by a 20-minute Q&A session, where you can ask questions and explore the objects up close.
Maximum capacity: 40 people.
Recommended age guidance: 12+
This ticket includes free admission to the museum galleries on the day of your tour.