Miss Susan Wilkes
Vanderbilt's First Medical Illustrator 1888
- 1969
Susan Heiskell Wilkes
was a native of Nashville and a graduate of Ward Seminary. She studied
at the Art Students League in New York and medical illustration at Johns
Hopkins University. Her teacher and mentor at Hopkins was famed medical
illustrator Max Brodel.
In
1925, Miss Wilkes was hired by Dr. G. Canby Robinson to head the first
medical illustration department at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Susan
Wilkes worked in many mediums, watercolor, oil, pencil, and pastels.
She was also an excellent photographer. The Historical Collection in
the Eskind Library is fortunate to have a wide array of Miss Susan Wilkes's
medical and non-medical art work and photographs.
The picture that convinced Dr.
Robinson to appoint Susan H. Wilkes for 3 yr. term as artist and head
of department of Illustration.
Water Color Pencil Drawing of Kirkland Hall,
1933.
Drawing of Vanderbilt University Medical Center
, 1935.
Kirkland Iris- Watercolor pencil
drawing, 1933
Surgical Team headed by Dr. Cobb Pilcher, 1946
