LADY ALEXANDER FLEMING AND SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING ON BOARD RMS 'QUEEN ELIZABETH': 8TH JUNE 1953: ORIGINAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPH
DETAILS: On their way back from America to Southampton.
PUBLISHER: PA Reuter
SIZE: 15.4cm x 20.3cm including margins
CONDITION: CREASE TO CENTRE. IN GOOD, CLEAN CONDITION. IMPECCABLE PROVENANCE OF THE SHIELDS GAZETTE
LOCATION: MAP DRAWER C: FOLDER 6001: 6001C
Sir Alexander Fleming (1881–1955) was a Scottish bacteriologist and pharmacologist, most famous for his discovery of penicillin, the world's first antibiotic, which revolutionised medicine and has saved countless lives since its development. Fleming's work laid the foundation for modern antimicrobial therapy, marking a turning point in medical history.
Fleming was born on August 6, 1881, in Lochfield, near Darvel in East Ayrshire, Scotland. He came from a farming family and was the seventh of eight children. After initially working as a shipping clerk, Fleming decided to pursue a medical career and enrolled at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, graduating with distinction in 1906. He later joined the hospital’s research team under Sir Almroth Wright, a pioneer in vaccine therapy, which sparked his interest in bacteriology.
The story of Fleming’s discovery of penicillin is one of the most famous in scientific history. In 1928, while researching staphylococci bacteria at St. Mary’s Hospital, Fleming noticed something unusual. He had left petri dishes of the bacteria on his workbench while he was away on holiday. Upon his return, he observed that one dish had become contaminated with a mould, later identified as Penicillium notatum. Around the mould was a clear area where the staphylococci had been destroyed. Fleming realised that the mould produced a substance capable of killing bacteria, which he named penicillin.
Although Fleming recognised the importance of penicillin as a potential antibiotic, he faced significant difficulties in purifying and producing it in large quantities. As a result, the development of penicillin as a practical medicine was delayed until the work of Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain in the early 1940s, who managed to mass-produce the drug. Their collaborative effort during World War II made penicillin available on a large scale, saving thousands of soldiers' lives and countless civilians suffering from infections.
The discovery of penicillin transformed the treatment of bacterial infections. Before its availability, infections from minor wounds, surgery, or illnesses like pneumonia often led to death. Penicillin's introduction into medical practice provided an effective treatment for infections that were once fatal, such as sepsis, syphilis, gonorrhoea, and scarlet fever.
Fleming’s discovery earned him numerous accolades. In 1945, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, alongside Florey and Chain, for their combined work on penicillin. His work on penicillin was celebrated as one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century.
In addition to his work on penicillin, Fleming made significant contributions to bacteriology, immunology, and chemotherapy. Before penicillin, he had already discovered lysozyme in 1922, an enzyme found in tears and saliva with mild antibacterial properties. This was one of the first discoveries to demonstrate the body’s natural antibacterial defences.
Fleming was knighted in 1944 for his services to medicine and remained a humble, modest figure throughout his life. Despite his monumental discovery, he often downplayed his role, emphasising the work of others in developing penicillin for widespread use.
He married twice, first to Sarah Marion McElroy, with whom he had one son, Robert, and later to Amalia Koutsouri-Vourekas, a Greek doctor. Fleming passed away on March 11, 1955, in London at the age of 73.
Sir Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin marked the dawn of the antibiotic era, drastically reducing mortality rates from bacterial infections and laying the groundwork for modern medicine. His work continues to influence research in microbiology, pharmacology, and immunology. The Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum, located at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, honours his life and contributions to science.
Fleming’s name remains synonymous with one of the most significant advancements in medical history, and his legacy is a testament to the importance of scientific curiosity and the impact of serendipitous discoveries.
Lady Alexander Fleming, born Amalia Koutsouri-Vourekas in Greece, was the second wife of Sir Alexander Fleming, the famous Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin. She became Lady Fleming after her marriage to him in 1953. While she is primarily known for her connection to Fleming, she also had a significant life and background of her own.
Amalia Koutsouri-Vourekas came from a distinguished Greek family. She worked as a doctor and was already a widow when she met Alexander Fleming. Her first husband was a Greek politician, but after his passing, she relocated to England, where she met Fleming. Their marriage in 1953 marked the beginning of her new life in the UK, but it was unfortunately short-lived, as Alexander Fleming died just two years later, in 1955.
Despite the brevity of their marriage, Lady Fleming was remembered for her intelligence, strong character, and ability to navigate life both as a doctor and as the wife of one of the most celebrated scientists of the 20th century. After Fleming’s death, she continued her medical work and maintained connections to both the Greek and British communities.
Her life represents an intersection of the worlds of science, medicine, and international diplomacy, bridging Greek and British cultures. Although less famous than her husband, Lady Alexander Fleming remains a noteworthy figure for her unique background and contributions to the medical field.
RMS Queen Elizabeth was a British ocean liner operated by Cunard Line, known for being one of the largest and most luxurious passenger ships of its time. She was the sister ship to the famous RMS Queen Mary, and together they represented the pinnacle of transatlantic ocean travel during the mid-20th century.
Construction on the Queen Elizabeth began in 1936 at the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland. Her design aimed to surpass the size and luxury of her predecessor, RMS Queen Mary, making her the largest passenger ship in the world at the time. Queen Elizabeth was 83,673 tons and measured 1,031 feet (314 metres) in length, with the capacity to carry around 2,283 passengers and 1,200 crew members.
Due to the outbreak of World War II, Queen Elizabeth's launch on September 27, 1938, was a secretive affair. She was quickly pressed into service as a troopship before completing her maiden commercial voyage. Her interior was not fully fitted out when she left the Clyde in March 1940, bound for New York via the Cape of Good Hope. The decision to sail her to New York was made to protect her from German U-boats.
During World War II, the Queen Elizabeth was repurposed for war service, just like her sister ship. Her large size and high speed made her an ideal troopship, capable of carrying up to 15,000 troops at a time. She transported soldiers across the Atlantic and to the Middle East, Australia, and Asia. The Queen Elizabeth played a crucial role in troop movements and was instrumental in supporting the Allied war effort. Due to her speed, she could outrun enemy submarines, which made her an invaluable asset.
Following the war, RMS Queen Elizabeth was refitted as a passenger liner and officially began her commercial career. She made her maiden transatlantic voyage on October 16, 1946, sailing from Southampton to New York. For many years, she and the Queen Mary were the primary means of transatlantic travel for celebrities, royalty, and dignitaries. These two ships represented the golden age of ocean liners, offering unmatched luxury and comfort during their voyages.
The Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary dominated the transatlantic route for over two decades. However, the rise of commercial air travel, particularly the advent of jet aircraft in the 1950s and 1960s, led to a decline in demand for ocean liner travel. By the 1960s, the transatlantic shipping business was becoming unprofitable.
The Queen Elizabeth was retired from service in 1968, after a long and distinguished career. She was sold to a Hong Kong-based company and was intended to become a floating university known as "Seawise University". However, before this vision could be fully realised, tragedy struck.
On January 9, 1972, while undergoing refitting in Hong Kong Harbour, a fire broke out aboard the ship. The fire spread rapidly, and despite efforts to contain it, the Queen Elizabeth was completely engulfed in flames. She eventually capsized and sank in the harbour, a sad and dramatic end to one of the most iconic ocean liners ever built.
The wreck of the RMS Queen Elizabeth was partially scrapped over the years, and her remains are still at the bottom of Hong Kong Harbour. Her legacy lives on as a symbol of the grand era of ocean liners, and she is remembered alongside her sister ship, the Queen Mary, for her contribution to maritime history.
Despite her tragic end, RMS Queen Elizabeth remains a legendary figure in the history of maritime travel. Her grandeur and the vital role she played in both wartime and peacetime transatlantic crossings cemented her status as one of the most iconic ships of the 20th century. Her sister ship, the RMS Queen Mary, has been preserved as a museum and hotel in Long Beach, California, offering a lasting connection to the era of luxury ocean liners.
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