TY  - JOUR
AU  - Janeiro, Catarina
AU  - Leite Moreira, Adelino
AU  - Andrade, José Paulo
TI  - First heart transplant: an untold story about images
PY  - %2026/%04/%15
Y2  - %2026/%08/%27
JF  - Medicina Historica
JA  - Med Histor
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
SE  - Original article
DO  - 10.69124/mh.2026.18181
UR  - https://doi.org/10.69124/mh.2026.18181
SP  - 18181
AB  - This article explores the intersection between the history of medicine and medical illustration. It emphasizes that any account of medical history remains incomplete without acknowledging the role of images in the transmission and understanding of medical knowledge, with its origins dating back to early physicians such as Vesalius. The golden age of medical illustration, marked by the work of Max Brödel at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, and the formalization of academic training, set the stage for future illustrators to make immeasurable contributions to the field of medicine. The research focuses on one of Brödel’s exceptional students: Mary Maciel (1906–1990).Maciel’s underrecognized but essential role in visually documenting the innovative procedures of heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard, after his world-renowned transplant in 1967. Newly revealed archival sources, including original illustrations and correspondence, show how Maciel’s artwork played a pivotal role in disseminating complex surgical knowledge to international audiences. Even as medical imaging technologies advanced, Maciel’s drawings continued to serve as irreplaceable pedagogical tools in medicine. By synthesizing rarely seen materials from institutional archives, this article demonstrates how Maciel’s collaboration with Barnard and her broader influence as an illustrator and educator reaffirm the importance of medical illustration for scientific communication in the history of science and as an art form meriting recognition in art museums.
ER  -