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Robert Lindsay, August 1926, and the American experience - Part 1: the first International Orthodontic Congress

British Dental Journal volume 235, pages 47–57 (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

In August 1926, two important dental meetings took place in America: the first International Orthodontic Congress (16-20 August in New York) and the seventh International Dental Congress (23-27 August in Philadelphia). Robert Lindsay, British Dental Association (BDA) dental secretary and husband of fellow dentist and BDA librarian, Lilian Lindsay, documented his trip attending these two events. His handwritten diary and letters not only describe the dental meetings and the dentists that went there, but also chronicle the epoch of the great luxury passenger liners and a time in America where business was booming and money was seemingly no object. This article focuses on the journey to America and the orthodontic meeting - the first time a dental speciality had held an international gathering.

Key points

  • To learn about the beginnings of international cooperation in orthodontics.

  • To find out about the history of orthodontics in the inter-war years.

  • To get to know some of the personalities involved in orthodontics early in its development.

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Acknowledgements

My thanks are due to those who preserved Robert Lindsay's diary and letters, the menu and photograph from the Caronia and the photograph of the banquet. Also, I would like to thank Professor Chris Stephens for his help on a point of terminology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Head of Library and Knowledge Services, British Dental Association, 64 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8YS, United Kingdom

    Helen Nield

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Correspondence to Helen Nield.

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Nield, H. Robert Lindsay, August 1926, and the American experience - Part 1: the first International Orthodontic Congress. Br Dent J 235, 47–57 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6012-5

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