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

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.