UNMC History: Medical illustrator Rose Reynolds

In 1929, Rose Reynolds began working at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine as an anatomical illustrator. In a time before computers, medical illustrations were created by hand. Medical illustrations are important because they enhance health sciences instruction, authors’ publications, and materials used to educate the public. Reynolds spent 50 years sharing her artistic skills with the UNMC community.

Reynolds graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and briefly attended business school. She left business school for a job opportunity at the College of Medicine, which had become available due to a sorority sister’s resignation from the position. During the job interview, Dean C.W.M. Poynter asked Reynolds if she was colorblind. Dean Poynter explained that he once had a medical illustrator who painted red eosinophilic cells green. In 1929, there was not enough illustration work for a full-time position, so she also assisted a hematologist and was the secretary to the anatomy department chair, John Latta, M.D. Reynolds eventually became an assistant professor in anatomical illustration.

To hone her medical illustration skills, Reynolds attended anatomy classes with students. She even dissected cadavers herself to help her develop accurate illustrations. She also attended surgeries, where she created rough drawings during the surgery and refined them later. Early in her career, Reynolds took a sabbatical from the College of Medicine to study medical illustration at the University of Illinois.

In 1972, Reynolds transferred from the anatomy department to the new biomedical communications center at UNMC. The center provided the campus with television, graphic design, photography, cinematography, equipment and editorial services. She worked on a variety of projects, including designing brochures and plaques, while still creating medical illustrations.

Reynolds was one of the founding members of the Association of Medical Illustrators, founded in 1945. She served as corresponding secretary, member of the board of governors, member of the ethics committee and member of the council on education and professional relations. She was also a member of the Biologic Photographic Association.

Reynolds retired from UNMC in 1977. However, she volunteered her talents to help produce The First Hundred Years, the history book for the College of Medicine’s centennial in 1981. Reynolds passed away in 1995.

To learn more about the history of medical illustration, attend the Davis Lecture on the History of Medicine on April 16 at noon in the Maurer Center for Public Health, Room 3013. Ron Philo, Ph.D., from the University of Texas San Antonio, will discuss the anatomical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.