ASRTMuseum1The American Society of Radiologic Technologists has opened the doors to the ASRT Museum and Archives, a 4,500-square-foot museum devoted to collecting, preserving and sharing the radiologic technology profession’s rich history.

The result of three years of planning and preparation, the museum mirrors the high-tech, high-touch nature of medical imaging and radiation therapy. It features state-of-the art exhibits and interactive displays that showcase the profession’s past, present, and future.

“This is the only museum in the world that tells the story of the radiologic technology profession and showcases the RT’s role in providing quality patient care,” said Sal Martino, ASRT chief executive officer.

Touch screens allow visitors to interact with digital media, while videos focus on historical highlights ranging from Thomas Edison’s experiments with fluoroscopy to battlefield radiography during World War II. Furthermore, hands-on exhibits allow visitors to touch and feel history.

Visitors can participate in a range of activities, including dressing up in replicas of vintage radiation protection apparel, assembling a scale-model replica of a World War II portable x-ray unit, and interacting with four touch tables that allow viewers to peek inside digital copies of historical books and manuscripts.

In addition to the interactive components, a number of pieces of vintage equipment are on display, including a Picker fluoroscopy unit, a 1935 GE portable “suitcase model” x-ray unit, and a military field x-ray unit from World War II. More than 300 artifacts are on display.

The museum also honors some of the profession’s pioneers. Special attention is given to Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, the physicist who discovered the x-ray in 1895; two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie, who conducted groundbreaking research on radioactivity; and Ed Jerman, founder of the American Association of Radiological Technicians, the precursor to the ASRT.

Tours of the ASRT Museum and Archives are by appointment only. Contact Greg Morrison at [email protected] to schedule a tour.

For more information, visit ASRT.

Get AXIS e-newsletters free. Subscribe here.