The Sunlight Room, Health Centre, Oak Lane, Finchley, Greater London
The Sunlight Room was just one aspect of a new Health Centre that was opened in Finchley in 1939. It had an infant welfare centre and a day nursery for children below school age, it provided “the most modern facilities” including ophthalmic, artificial sunlight, antenatal and minor injuries clinics, and two dental surgeries. Phototherapy, or artificial sunlight therapy, was prescribed for a range of childhood and maternal complaints during the first half of the 20th century. It remained popular until the late 1930s, but faced growing concerns about the link between exposure to ultraviolet light and skin cancer.
