Florence Nightingale

A carte-de-visite portrait of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), pioneering English nurse and the founder of nursing as a profession. She was born in Florence, Italy, and received her medical training in Germany and France. In 1854 she took a team of nurses to Scutari (now Uskadar in Turkey) and reduced the death rate of the Crimean War hospitals from 42% to 2%.

In 1856 she founded the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses in London. She was also the author of the classic Notes on Nursing. Florence Nightingale was awarded the Order of Merit in 1907.

Photographed by William Kilburn of 222, Regent Street, London.