Florence Nightingale's wheelchair goes on display

A customised wheelchair that once belonged to Florence Nightingale has gone on display in the UK for the first time.

Many see Nightingale as the founder of modern nursing.

Made of mahogany and iron, the chair is well over 100 years old, and was built for Nightingale after she returned from the Crimean War.

The chair was used to help her while living in Mayfair, west London, and was acquired by the Florence Nightingale Museum following a fundraising effort.

'Powerful emblem'

Nightingale was the first elected female member of the Royal Statistical Society, in 1858

Nightingale became known as the "Lady with the Lamp" during the Crimean War.

The Times newspaper reported of her patrolling the wards of the Scutari Hospital at night, checking on wounded personnel.

She established the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas' Hospital in 1860. This became the first institute of its kind and deployed nurses across the UK to spread her ideas in the field.

While predominantly known for her work in nursing, Nightingale was also a statistician and is credited with creating one of the first pie charts.

Brenda Griffiths, chair of the board of trustees of the Company of Nurses Charitable Trust says the years following Nightingale's Crimean efforts are "often glossed over".

Ms Griffiths says Nightingale influenced the nursing profession "as we know it" despite ongoing disabilities, and the acquisition of the wheelchair is a "powerful emblem of her strength and physical commitment".

Formerly owned by Johns Hopkins University in the USA, the chair will go on permanent display from 24 June to coincide with the museum's new Military Nursing in Peace and War exhibition.