Sir George Still Blue plaque

Was Sir George Frederic Still a man of contradictions? Today, we stand before a symbol of his legacy, the Sir George Still Blue Plaque. This simple plaque marks the home of a man who loved children, especially little girls with long hair, yet reportedly held little regard for their mothers. Sir George Frederic Still, England’s first professor of childhood medicine, practiced within these walls. He dedicated his life to understanding childhood diseases and raising the profile of pediatrics as a medical discipline. Still’s contributions include identifying what we now know as Still’s disease, a form of juvenile arthritis, and the Still’s murmur, a common heart sound in children. Ironically, despite his dedication to children’s health, Still remained a lifelong bachelor, more comfortable in the company of medical texts and his beloved classics. He was fluent in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic, finding solace in ancient literature. This blue plaque on his former residence offers us a glimpse into the complex life of this pioneering pediatrician, a man who found joy in the world of childhood while remaining curiously detached from the realities of family life.