The Annette S. Burgess Award recognizes the outstanding quality of scientific and artistic scholarship in Ophthalmological Illustration and is awarded in honor of Annette S. Burgess, the first medical illustrator for the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute. Annette Smith Burgess came to Johns Hopkins in 1923 and studied with the founding director of the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine, Max Brödel for three years. Under his rigorous tutelage, she perfected her technique to become one of his greatest pupils. In 1926 at the behest of Dr. William H. Wilmer, she became a full-time Ophthalmic Illustrator with the Wilmer Institute. Annette Burgess painted and drew practically all of the illustrations that appeared in the various medical publications of the Wilmer Institute. She became the foremost painter of the ocular fundus and also a world-renowned ophthalmic artist. Annette Burgess’ work was marked by her accuracy of observation, her meticulous attention to detail, her absolute honesty in depicting pathological lesions, and her uncompromising refusal to include any lesion not actually present in the particular eye under examination. Her honesty, integrity, and loyalty were highly regarded by her colleagues, admirers, and friends. She served the Institute until her retirement in 1962.

Recipients:

In 1970 at the age of 19, Joseph M. Dieter, Jr. was hired by Department Director Ranice Crosby as a Draftsman to assist in preparing statistical graphs and schematic diagrams for medical publications. Recognizing a need to offer graphic design services, Joe completed the Graphic Design Program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, while concurrently working in the Department. Joe advanced through the positions of Assistant Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Graphics Production Supervisor, Lecturer and, ultimately, Art Director.

During his tenure, Joe’s production skills progressively transitioned from the use of traditional to digital art tools. Recognized nationally and internationally for his award-winning graphics, cartoons, caricatures, exhibits and, most notably, logo designs, Joe’s projects were always meticulously researched and artfully executed. His impressive body of work reflects the clever, humorous, and intelligent design solutions he contributed to the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University for over four decades (1970 – 2014).

The Award

Joseph M. Dieter, Jr., Scholarship for Creative Design Excellence recognizes a second-year student in the Medical & Biological Illustration graduate program who has demonstrated innovative excellence and outstanding creative design in their graduate coursework. This new, endowed scholarship has been established through the extraordinary generosity of our beloved and talented graphic designer, Joe Dieter, and it ensures Joe’s legacy of design excellence is recognized in perpetuity.

Recipients

2024 – Hannah Forward
2023 – Nicholas Kilner-Pontone
2022 – Gilbert Chen
2022 – Ann Mai

The name of Frank H. Netter, M.D. is recognized by generations of medical illustrators, healthcare professionals, and physicians from around the world. His superb artistic talent and his ability to distill complex concepts into effective didactic illustrations distinguishes Frank H. Netter as one of the most noted figures in contemporary medical education. His legacy of over 4,000 images and dozens of books, remains an indispensable part of contemporary medical literature. Dr. Netter’s success as a medical illustrator is a result both of his high artistic standards and his insistence on thoroughly understanding his subject matter – the human body. These are the very traits that form the cornerstone of educating tomorrow’s medical illustrators.

The Award

Family, colleagues, and friends of Dr. Netter established this scholarship to recognize a student in the graduate program of the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine within the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The Graduate Program promotes the ideals of Frank H. Netter by encouraging its students to pursue the highest possible artistic and academic standards. Since its inception, the Program has fostered artistic creativity, problem solving, and the investigation of new advances in medical science and visual technologies. Hopkins graduates have advanced medical education through their scientific knowledge and artistic talent for over 100 years.

Recipients of this award display a balance of medical and scientific knowledge with the artistic skills that Dr. Netter exhibited throughout his career. Art as Applied to Medicine is proud to join with the Netter family to ensure “the tradition of excellence” continues.

Recipients:

An internationally renowned biomedical photographer, Chester F. Reather was a part of Hopkins for over 50 years. At the age of 28, Chester began taking pictures with Osbourne Heard, the photographer with the Carnegie Institute of Embryology (at Hopkins). Soon Chester’s magnified scientific images set a standard for medical and biological photographs around the world. Much of his most famous work appeared in the popular press.

In the 1940’s, magazines like Life, Time and Fortune ran photographic essays of his images of the developing human embryo. For the first time, the public was able to see the fetus as it developed. Even the Encyclopedia Britannica utilized his powerful black and white images to depict the beginning of human life. His work appeared in many textbooks authored by Hopkins physicians. As a founding member of the Biological Photographers Association, he trained many who later became distinguished members.

The Award

The Department of Art as Applied to Medicine is most grateful for scholarship funds providing financial support for a graduate student whose advanced work or thesis stimulates innovative research and creative use of new imaging modality.

The Recipients