Florence Nightingale’s Hair Sells for Over £3,500 at Auction
A lock of Florence Nightingale’s hair has sold for £3,606 at an auction in North Yorkshire, surpassing its expected value of £2,000 to £3,000. The hair, confirmed to belong to the 19th-century nursing pioneer, was sold along with her signature on a piece of clipped paper.
The items, auctioned by Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, had been kept by descendants of Nightingale’s sister. Auctioneer and valuer Jody Beighton had previously described the lock of hair as “quite a rarity.” The successful bid came from a private buyer in the UK.
Florence Nightingale is widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing, earning the nickname “Lady with the Lamp” for her work during the Crimean War. In 1854, she led a team of 38 nurses to a military hospital in Turkey, marking the first time women were permitted to serve in the Army. Her efforts to clean and organize the hospital significantly improved care for wounded soldiers.
Nightingale further cemented her legacy by establishing the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas’ Hospital in London in 1860, the first institution of its kind. The school trained nurses who would then spread her revolutionary ideas across the UK. Nightingale passed away in 1910 at the age of 90, leaving behind a profound impact on the field of nursing.
