Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Fred Harwin collection, 1965-2022
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Harwin, Fredric M.
- Title
- Fred Harwin collection
- Dates
- 1965-2022 (inclusive)19652022
- Quantity
- 4.59 linear feet, (20 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 2022-014
- Summary
- Fred Harwin is an artist, medical illustrator, and ocularist. He is well-known for illustrating the breakthrough medical text Manual of Cardiac Surgery with Drs. Brad Harlan and Albert Starr. The vast majority of this collection consists of original illustrations by Harwin, including those from both the first and second editions of that manual.
- Repository
-
Oregon Health & Science University, Historical Collections & Archives
OHSU Historical Collections & Archives
Oregon Health & Science University
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. MC:LIB
Portland, OR
97239
Telephone: 5034945587
hcaref@ohsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
There are no restrictions on access. This collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Fredric (Fred) Harwin attained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University in 1964, focusing in interior architecture, drawing, and painting. He then went on to receive his Master of Science degree in medical and biological illustration from the University of Michigan in 1967. After completing school, Harwin served as the Director of Medical Illustration at Wayne County General Hospital. In 1969, Harwin joined the faculty at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland, OR; he has taught at Portland State University and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; and was an Adjunct Professor of Medical Illustration at the University of California's San Francisco Medical Center. Harwin has servesd as an adjunct faculty member with the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and as an Advisor for the Center for Ocular Prosthetics in Portland, OR.
While at OHSU, Harwin, in his capacity as illustrator, collaborated with renown cardiac surgeons Dr. Brad Harlan and Dr. Albert Starr on the Manual of Cardiac Surgery, first published in 1980 with a second edition in 1994. This included placement of the famed Starr-Edwards heart valve, which was the first successful prosthetic device implanted in a human mitral valve and marked a new era in the treatment of valvular heart disease. The Manual was seen as a breakthrough in medical texts, being the first of the prevalent works on heart surgery to include color illustrations.
Harwin personally developed and practiced a technique he refers to as "Scientific Realism." His drawings include color accuracy to real body internals, the visual perspective and technique of the surgeon, the creation of the visual illusion of looking through superficial layers to the deeper structures, and visually instructional procedures for the successful completion of the surgery. The technique involves applying media to both sides of frosted mylar, with an interconnectedness of color and value. The bottom side of the illustrations were completed in a combination of colored pencil, graphite, carbon or pastels, while the top side was mostly airbrushed with water colors or gouache. The benefit of this technique is to allow the surgeon or medical student to "see" an organ as it will appear in the operating room, with all its subtle coloration, while at the same time allowing the eye to see through to where a patch, a suture, or a graft has been applied, allowing the observer to grasp the totality of the surgery, while being simultaneously alerted to the minute detail.
Fred Harwin retired from the Center for Ocular Prosthetics in December of 2019 and is currently painting full time in his studio.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The vast majority of this collection consists of original illustrations by Fred Harwin.
Series 1 includes roughly 350 original illustrations for the Manual of Cardiac Surgery. Each individual work of art consists of at least four layers; including a mylar cover, tissue protector, and artwork, all atop a Ray-Board or Illustration board. The figures are arranged by size and by the chapter in which they appeared in either the first or second edition of the book.
Series 2 and 3 include original illustrations (black & white, color, pen & ink, and more), many mounted on sketch-board. Included are a broad variety of anatomical illustrations (skeletal and organ), and associated relevant surgical procedures and implantable devices. Many were created upon request from faculty at OHSU to facilitate instructional procedures. Other illustrations were used as figures in articles or other published works. Additionally, one prosthetic eye, painted by Harwin and donated separately to OHSU, is included here as an example of his more recent work.
Series 4 includes illustrations completed for commercial purposes for companies like W. L. Gore, 3M, CIBA, and others. The purposes were to demonstrate the application of a commercial medical product from the perspective of the surgeon. Included are meshes, sutures, valves, constrictors, and other physical devices in their application. Some copies of the corporate marketing, advertising, and training material for which the illustration was created are included.
Series 5 includes general records, such as biographical information and collection descriptions from the book dealer, Montgomery Rare Books and Manuscripts. Many article reprints, which demonstrate illustrations from this collection, are included along with a significant number of reviews for the Manual of Cardiac Surgery.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
OHSU Historical Collections & Archives (HC&A) is the owner of the original materials and digitized images in our collections, however, the collection may contain materials for which copyright is not held. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials. Consult with HC&A to determine if we can provide permission for use.
Preferred Citation
[Collection title], Collection Number [####-###], Oregon Health & Science University, Historical Collections & Archives
Alternative Forms Available
Some images from this collection have been digitized and are available in the OHSU Digital Collections.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
This collection was purchased in 2022 with funds donated to the OHSU Foundation along with generous support from Dr. Richard Mullins.
Separated Materials
Multiple books were separated from this collection and cataloged into the HC&A book collections. Please review the OHSU Library catalog to access those volumes.
Volumes from this collection included: Manual of Cardiac Surgery, First Edition, 1980 (in 2 volumes) and Second edition, 1994, as well as German and Spanish editions; Illustrated Handbook of Cardiac Surgery, 1996, along with versions in Japanese and Portugese.
Bibliography
"The Art of a Renaissance Man."Airbrush Digest. September/October 1982.
"Fredric Harwin."Communication Arts. March/April 1982.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Manual of Cardiac Surgery illustrations, circa 1980, 1994Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | Chapter 4 (1st edition), figures 1, 3-4, 7, 9 (9"x12") |
circa 1980 |
| 2 | Chapter 4 (1st edition), figures 2, 5-6, 8, 10-19 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 6 | Chapter 4 (2nd edition), figures 8-10 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 2 | Chapter 6 (1st edition), figures 1-3 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 2 | Chapter 8 (1st edition), figures 1-2 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 6 | Chapter 8 (2nd edition), figure 1 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 1 | Chapter 9 (1st edition), figures 1-3 (7"x10.5") |
circa 1980 |
| 2 | Chapter 9 (1st edition), figures 9-18 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 3 | Chapter 9 (1st edition), figures 20-29, 31-37, 36-46, 49-50, 52-63 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 1 | Chapter 9 (1st edition), figures 30, 50 (8"x10") |
circa 1980 |
| 1 | Chapter 9 (1st edition), figure 38 (9"x12") |
circa 1980 |
| 6 | Chapter 9 (2nd edition), figures 9-10, 12, 22-24, 48-50, 59, 73-74 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 3 | Chapter 10 (1st edition), figures 1, 5-17 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 1 | Chapter 10 (1st edition), figures 2, 22-23 (9"x12") |
circa 1980 |
| 4 | Chapter 10 (1st edition), figures 18-21, 24, 26-30, 32-33 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 13 | Chapter 10 (1st edition), figure 25 (14"x15") |
circa 1980 |
| 1 | Chapter 10 (1st edition), figure 31 (8"x10") |
circa 1980 |
| 4 | Chapter 11 (1st edition), figures 4-5, 7, 9-12 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 4 | Chapter 12 (1st edition), figures 3, 5, 7-8, 12-13 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 7 | Chapter 12 (2nd edition), figures 3, 11-13, 16-18, 23-36, 40, 51-52 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 4 | Chapter 13 (1st edition), figures 2, 5-10 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 4 | Chapter 14 (1st edition), figures 5, 10, 13-17, 20 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 4 | Chapter 15 (1st edition), figures 1-4 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 4 | Chapter 16 (1st edition), figures 1-4 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 7 | Chapter 16 (2nd edition), figures 7, 11 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 7 | Chapter 17 (2nd edition), figures 12, 14 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 4 | Chapter 19 (1st edition), figures 1-14 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 4 | Chapter 20 (1st edition), figures 1-11 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 1 | Chapter 21 (1st edition), figure 1 (9"x12") |
circa 1980 |
| 5 | Chapter 21 (1st edition), figures 2-14 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 8 | Chapter 21 (2nd edition), figures 2-5, 10-13 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 1 | Chapter 22 (1st edition), figures 1-2, 12 (9"x12") |
circa 1980 |
| 5 | Chapter 22 (1st edition), figures 3-5, 7-11 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 8 | Chapter 22 (2nd edition), figure 6 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 5 | Chapter 23 (1st edition), figures 1-29 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 8 | Chapter 23 (2nd edition), figures 6-13 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
| 5 | Chapter 24 (1st edition), figures 1-9 (6"x9") |
circa 1980 |
| 9 | Chapter 24 (2nd edition), figures 7-12, 14-19 (10"x13") |
circa 1994 |
Assorted carbon dust and graphite drawings, 1965-1984Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 10 | "Relationships Between Intervertebral Disc, Artery and Vein"; figure included in "Postaminectomy arteriovenous fistula" by D. H. Hildreth and D. A. Turcke in the journal Surgery, volume 81, number 5 (mounted, 15"x20") |
1977 May |
| 10 | "Surgical Illustration" depicting the kidneys and parts of the large intestine and bladder (pen and ink on scratchboard, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | "Two procedures used in congenital heart surgery" (pen and ink, mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Untitled; primarily depicts the urinary tract system [kidneys, bladder], with the subject's ribs and vertebrae visible (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Untitled; depicts the separation of a part and subsequent re-suturing of an area of what appears to be the subject's large intestine/rectum (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Untitled; depicts the separation of part of the small intestine and the resuturing of affected areas (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Untitled; depicts two illustrations: (1) an MRI slice of the subject's lower abdomen, with the L3 vertebrae and a section of the kidneys and digestive tract visible and (2) a close-up view of the left kidney from the top illustration (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Untitled; depicts a subcutaneous view of the right side of the subject's face, primarily illustrating fat, muscle, and veins/arteries in the region between the subject's temple and ear (mounted, 15"x20") |
1965 |
| 10 | Untitled; depicts the vertebral basilar system and the circle of Willis (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Figures showing the repair of cleft lip by the rotation-advancement technique, appeared in unidentified publication (mounted, 15"x20") |
circa 1972 |
| 10 | "Cross section of bone graft" and "2nd stage osteotomy" (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Untitled; depicts a cranial puncture/tap of the thalamus or corpus callosum in the brain (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | "Surgical Illustration: The repair of the ascending aorta" (pen and ink, mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 10 | Untitled; depicts a part of the small intestine, the entirety of the large intestine/rectum, and what appears to be part of the bladder (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 11 | "Open Heart Surgery" [6 illustrations] (pen and ink on scratchboard, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 11 | Series of 7 illustrations (labeled A through F'); figures from "Total Correction of Transposition of the Great Arteries in Infancy as Initial Surgical Management" by L. I. Bonchek and A. Starr in Annals of Thoracic Surgery, volume 14, number 4 (mounted on 3 separate boards, 15"x20") |
1972 |
| 11 | "Procedural Illustration: Uterine Aspiration"; appeared in "Technic of Uterine Aspiration" by C. J. Eaton (carbon dust, mounted, 15"x20") |
1969 |
| 11 | Figures of an infant with a heterotopic brain; appeared in "Extracerebral Brain Heterotopia" by S. M. Farhat and J. S. Hudson in Journal of Neurosurgery, volume 30, number 2 (15"x20") |
1969 |
| 11 | Untitled; depicts a human skull with the lower mandible missing (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 11 | Untitled; depicting a surgical incision, possibly of the heart (mounted, 15"x20") |
1966 |
| 11 | "Bladder Flap Ureteroneocystostomy" for client Jack Lapides, M.D. (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 11 | Untitled; 6 illustrations depicting what appears to be the progression of cataracts or different types of cataracts (mounted, 15"x20") |
undated |
| 12 | Untitled; depicting one vertebrae, axial view [1 of 2] (color, mounted, 12"x15") |
undated |
| 12 | Untitled; depicting one vertebrae, axial view [2 of 2] (color, mounted, 12"x15") |
undated |
| 12 | Untitled; showing internal anatomy of an individual who appears to have had a number of corrective surgeries (mounted, 12"x18.5") |
undated |
| 12 | Untitled; unknown instrument stitched into a blood vessel/artery, possibly an anastomosis or bypass procedure (color, mounted, 12"x18.5") |
undated |
| 12 | Untitled; showing the act of stitching the above, possibly an anastomosis or bypass procedure (color, mounted, 14"x17") |
1984 |
| 12 | Canine illustrations: (1) internal reproductive anatomy of a female dog; (2) head/face of a small dog (color, mounted, 15"x19") |
1975 |
| 13 | Untitled; depicts an ear-related procedure, possibly to do with fluid or wax buildup/blockage (9"x9") |
undated |
| 13 | Untitled; depicts a liver (color, mounted, 10"x12") |
undated |
| 13 | Untitled; depicts vaginal and penile anatomies related to the bladder (10.5"x13") |
1975 |
| 13 | Untitled; depicts throat anatomy (12"x12") |
undated |
| 13 | Untitled; depicts heart valve implants, with before and after versions (color, mounted, 12"x12.5") |
undated |
| 13 | Untitled; depicts the correction of a esophageal/tracheal fistula; appeared in August 1974 edition of UOMS "Medical Center News" (12"x14.5") |
1974 August |
| 13 | "Anatomical Illustration: Microscopic view of section of placenta showing the relationship between the fetal and maternal blood systems ..." (12"x15") |
undated |
| 13 | Compartmentalization of an embryonated chick egg; appeared in "Chloride and the Generation of Amniotic Fluid in the Early Embryo" by J. J. Faber, et al. in Journal of Experimental Zoology, volume 183, number 3 (13.5"x13.5") |
1973 |
| 13 | Untitled; depicts a penile implant procedure (mounted, 14"x16") |
undated |
| 13 | "Research Industries Corporation 1977 Annual Report with financial statements to June 30, 1977" (cover art depicting a bladder) (mounted, 14"x16") |
1977 |
| 13 | "Classification of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anus" (color, mounted, 14"x16") |
undated |
Other assorted illustrations & artifacts, 1969-2022Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 14 | Unidentified joint (color, 9"x12") |
1986 |
| 14 | Blood vessels (color, 9"x12") |
undated |
| 14 | Vertebrae (mounted, 9"x9") |
undated |
| 14 | Unknown (10"x10") |
undated |
| 14 | Ribs and muscles (8.5"x14.25") |
undated |
| 14 | Untitled; relates to ureteroneocystostomy (see J. M. Barry's "Ureteroneocystostomy in Kidney Transplant with Ureteral Duplication" in Archives of Surgery, volume 106, March 1973) (10"x13") |
circa 1973 |
| 14 | Unknown ocular (11.5"x14") |
undated |
| 14 | Heart (mounted, 10"x13") |
undated |
| 14 | "Urinary diversion," figures 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, illustrations for Clarence V. Hodges (mounted, 10"x12.25") |
undated |
| 14 | "Everts and Echevarria": 9 black & white illustrations of varying sizes (4 mounted, 10"x14"), otolaryngological in nature, likely created for Edwin C. Everts and John Echevarria |
undated |
| 15 | "Ileal conduit (Bricker Type)" for C. V. Hodges and J. M. Barry (12"x15") |
undated |
| 15 | "Blood supply to the penis" for J. Lapides (12"x15") |
undated |
| 15 | "Pediatric Kidney Transplant" for R. K. Lawson (12"x15") |
undated |
| 15 | "Ureteroneocystostomy - Duplicate ureters" for J. M. Barry and H. Pearse (Archives of Surgery, volume 106) (12"x15") |
1973 March |
| 15 | Figure from "Hyphema Due to Wound Vascularization After Cataract Extraction" by K. C. Swann in Archives of Ophthalmology, volume 89 (12"x15") |
1973 February |
| 15 | Figures 4, 5, and 6 from "Total Correction of Tetralogy of Fallout in Infancy" by A. Starr, L. I. Bonchek, and C. O. Sunderland in Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, volume 65, number 1 (3 illustrations, mounted, 12"x15") |
1973 |
| 15 | "Inside view of skull showing the cranial nerves, bone structure, and area for potential invasion by tumor" (carbon dust and water color, mounted, 12"x15") |
undated |
| 15 | Internal anatomy of the ear (12"x15") |
undated |
| 15 | Illustrations [2] of the mouth (mounted, 12"x15") |
undated |
| 15 | "Pyeloduodenal fistula" (mounted, 12"x15") |
undated |
| 15 | Figures from "Ureteroureterostomy for Reflux in Duplex Systems" by A. Burns and M. Palken in Journal of Urology, volume 106 (12"x15") |
1971 August |
| 15 | Untitled; illustrations depicting liver, pancreas, kidney, spleen, and more (mounted, 12"x15" [2]) |
undated |
| 15 | Unidentified illustration (mounted, 12"x15") |
undated |
| 16 | Heart illustration (mounted, 10"x13") |
undated |
| 16 | Heart illustration (mounted, 12"x13") |
undated |
| 16 | Heart illustrations [2] (mounted, 12"x15") |
undated |
| 16 | "Technique for transferring the long extensors to the metatarsal necks"; figure 2 from "Claw-Foot Deformity" by E. G. Chuiard and M. Baskin in Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, volume 55-a, number 2 (mounted, 12"x15") |
1973 |
| 16 | "Arteriovenous Dialysis Shunt" for R. K. Lawson (12"x15") |
undated |
| 5 | Prosthetic eye, painted by Fred Harwin |
circa 2022 |
Commercial drawings, 1984-2003Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 17 | Allison Software, illustration (mounted, 10"x13") |
1984 |
| 17 | Cardiovise, illustrations [3] (mounted, 10"x13") |
circa 1999 |
| 17 | Eye illustrations [4] (mounted, 10"x13") |
1984, 1993 |
| 17 | Unidentified illustrations [4] (mounted, 10"x13") |
undated |
| 18 | Gore-Tex illustrations [14] plus brochure (mounted, 10"x13") |
1984-1988, undated |
| 18 | Unidentified illustrations [2] (mounted, 10"x13") |
1989, 1992 |
| 19 | Vascular graft (leg) (mounted, 10"x13") |
1984 |
| 19 | Ligament (mounted, 10"x13") |
1986 |
| 19 | "Medical products poster illustration; bifurcated" (mounted, 10"x13") |
1984 |
| 19 | Ankle illustrations [2] (mounted, 10"x13") |
undated |
| 19 | Unidentified illustrations [13] (mounted, 10"x13") |
1986, undated |
Records, 1969-1984, 2022Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 20 | Articles on Harwin |
1982 |
| 20 | Article reprints, demonstrating additional published illustrations by Harwin |
1969-1981 |
| 20 | Biographical and collection information |
2022, undated |
| 20 |
Manual of Cardiac Surgery book reviews and awards correspondence |
1981-1984 |
