World Mosquito Day marks the date in 1897 when Sir Ronald Ross made his discovery of malaria parasites in a mosquito abdomen, establishing mosquitoes as the vector that transmits malaria to humans. To celebrate the day this year the School’s Library was transformed into a 1930’s style tearoom, complete with Lyons Corner House waitresses serving up mountains of scones and homemade cake, washed down with tea served from a decorative samovar in vintage teacups.
Guests entered the Library under a canopy of bed-netting and sari material, decorated with contributions from the School’s world-wide Malaria Centre community.
Malaria Centre work is displayed in bed nets and sari material
Items included a week’s supply of antimalarials circa 1980 from Dame Claire Bertschinger, a photograph of Professor David Schellenberg precariously balanced on his roof in Tanzania, tracking emails with a giant aerial and an ornate hook to hang a mosquito net from China, courtesy of Professor Brian Greenwood. An exhibition from LSHTM Archives displayed images of malaria material in the School’s collection including the Ross Archive.
A sepia tinted photograph, held in the LSHTM Archives captures the original Mosquito Day Tiffin at the Ross institute in 1931, and on hand to recreate the event were actors Gary Merry (Sir Ronald Ross) Penelope Dimond (Lady Ross) and George Stone (Sir Patrick ‘Mosquito’ Manson).
Dramatic moments in the history of malaria research are recreated
Gary Merry had pulled together extracts of the Ross/Manson dialogue from the School’s edition of “The Beast in the Mosquito”, interlacing it with Ross’s poem The Father and other extracts of his journal. Binkie the dog, who appears in the bottom left hand corner the photograph, served as Mascot once again.
After the performance, guests were treated to a display of dancing from Ragroof Theatre Company and then everyone got on their feet for a lesson in the Charleston Stroll followed by the Jive, accompanied by authentic 1940’s Jazz and Congolese music from Nostalgie Ya Mboka.
Guests get into the dancing spirit
Over 100 guests attended ranging from LSHTM students and staff, friends of the Malaria Centre including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Malaria no More UK and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and Neglected Diseases as well as first-time visitors to the School, friends and family and members of the local community.
Enjoying the performance over tea
A short shot of gin and tonic from the Matron (Rebecca Tremain of the ACT Consortium) ensured everyone had a little dose of medicinal quinine, then on to the bar at our neighbours, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, to complete the day’s celebrations.
Article by Rebecca Tremain & Dalia Iskander