Dr Leonard Abrahamson, a conservation project and the Oscars
This
year’s Oscar took place yesterday, with Irish Director Lenny Abrahamson’s film Room missing out on the Best Picture
Oscar, although Brie Larson picked up the Best Actress Award for her part in
the film. But, did you know that Lenny Abrahamson’s grandfather, also Leonard
Abrahamson, was a pioneering cardiologist and President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland?
Leonard Abrahamson was born on the 29th
of April, 1896, to a Jewish family in Odessa, Russia (now the Ukraine). Abrahamson was 3 years old when his family
emigrated to Newry, in Co. Down to escape the pogroms against the Jewish.
Abrahamson
entered Trinity College Dublin in 1912, studying for a BA in modern
languages. Abrahamson was an active
member of the Dublin University Gaelic Society, elected as honorary librarian
and taking part in the first Irish inter-university debate, which was held in
Irish. The society invited Padraig
Pearse to address the debate, despite the Provost’s opposition. Abrahamson was disciplined
for this, and the society was suspended.
After
completing his BA, Abrahamson studied medicine graduating in 1919. He studied in London and Paris, before
returning to Trinity to complete his MD in 1922. Abrahamson became a member of the Royal
College of Physicians in 1921, a Fellow in 1922, and becoming the second Jewish
president of the College in 1949.
Abrahamson
is considered to be the pioneer of cardiology, and introduced the first cardiograph
machine to Dublin. Abrahamson had sent a patient to London for specialist
treatment when there was no machine in Dublin; the patient saw the value of the
instrument and returned to Dublin with one for Abrahamson to use. Abrahamson
published several papers on the application of the cardiograph, and developed
the clinical application of the cardiograph.
Outside
of medicine Abrahamson was active in the Jewish community and fought against
anti-semitism. He played an important role in the founding of the Jewish
Representative Council, in 1938, and served as an advisor to the government on
Jewish concerns during the Emergency. Abrahamson died in 1961, and is buried in the
Jewish cemetery at Dolphin’s Barn, Co. Dublin.
As
such an important former President we are delighted that the collections
here include both a bust and a portrait of Abrahamson. The portrait has
recently received expert conservation treatment, as part of our ongoing Care of
Collections programme. The restoration
of this portrait was sponsored by a generous donation from one of our Fellows, Dr Hima, under our
Adopt A Treasure Programme. The portrait is now hanging in the Fellow’s Room in
6 Kildare; appropriately enough in the same room as the library of the Irish Cardiac Society, which includes several books presented by Dr Abrahamson.
Ruth McCann
Library Intern