On the Shelves of Kam Wah Chung is an immersive exhibition that celebrates the medical practice of Ing “Doc” Hay who became a prominent figure in eastern Oregon after the California Gold Rush.
Immigrating to the U.S. in 1877, Ing Hay brought his knowledge of herbology and pulsology to a remote part of Oregon during a time when Western medicine was still in its infancy. Practicing out of the Kam Wah Chung & Co. general store in a town called John Day, the exhibition includes Chinese patent medicines developed by the doctor, as well as archival materials such as historical photographs, patient records and correspondences with non-Chinese settlers. In doing so, the exhibition provides an illustration of day-to-day life in the region, and a lesser-known history of Chinese immigration in the Pacific Northwest.
Image from the Museum of Chinese in America