Alice in Typhoidland

About the exhibition

Join Alice Liddell (Alice in Wonderland) on a journey through the history of early typhoid control and discover how typhoid influenced the design of the water and sewage systems under our feet. Solve the riddle of mysterious typhoid outbreaks in Victorian Oxford, find out how doctors and engineers controlled typhoid to stop the disease from spreading and experience Alice’s adventure into Typhoidland.

Alice in Typhoidland explored the past and present of typhoid. A killer of paupers, princes, and presidents, typhoid was an invisible threat in Victorian England and remains dangerous in many areas today. Join Alice Liddell (Alice in Wonderland) on a murky tour of Oxford’s underside. Learn how doctors and engineers controlled typhoid to stop the disease from spreading in Alice’s city, and see how sanitation, vaccination, and typhoid have evolved since.

Using the biography of one of Oxford’s best-known inhabitants, Alice Liddell we introduced visitors to the biology, history, and current context of typhoid through an exhibition in museum locations in Oxford (UK) and Atlanta (US).

The exhibition also travelled to healthcare settings in countries highly affected by typhoid as digital content.

Our aim was to raise awareness for the current global burden of typhoid and the need for collective action.