Vintage surgical instrument identified on the original archival tag as:

“Crile carotid artery forceps – Gold Coral – 1940’s.”

Crile forceps are specialized surgical clamps used for delicate vascular procedures, particularly involving the carotid artery during neck surgery. These instruments were designed to carefully control blood flow while minimizing tissue damage.

The instrument retains its original museum catalog tag and cord, indicating it was part of a curated medical teaching or research collection.

Constructed of polished surgical steel with classic ring handles and locking ratchet mechanism.

Condition shows normal wear consistent with age and professional use. Mechanism functions properly.

Approximate era: 1940s

A fascinating piece of mid-20th-century surgical history ideal for collectors of medical antiques, medical museums, anatomy displays, or historical teaching collections.

Museum Provenance

This instrument comes from a large historical medical teaching collection associated with the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, which hosted the exhibit “Medicine in Memphis 1830–1930.”

Many items in this archive are linked to the medical materials and professional archives of Dr. Max Goltman, a Memphis physician whose historical medical artifacts and documents were preserved as part of educational displays.

We are currently cataloging and liquidating the remainder of this historic medical teaching collection. Additional instruments, laboratory equipment, anatomical materials, and documents from the archive will be listed.

Collectors or institutions interested in acquiring multiple pieces from the collection are welcome to inquire