Hopkins Medical Archives

We are excited to welcome faculty and students from the JHU Film & Media Program to the Chesney Archives today! They are filming a documentary short focusing on Martha Jones's Hard Histories work using the Records of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Orphan Asylum. 📽️🎞️🎬https://tinyurl.com/4k28pxvk

A black and white photo of a grand door entrance and its entrance hall. Two sets of wooden doors open out onto a grassy and tree-covered lawn. The transoms above each door arch over with an intricate design that looks like decorative spokes on wheels.

"On October 21, Homewood Museum will open If Homewood’s Walls Could Talk: A History of an American House, a new exhibition exploring the house’s full 224-year history."

blogs.library.jhu.edu/2025/10/new-...

A woman in her thirties wearing a bright yellow jacket stands in front of a whiteboard, pointing to it while two younger women look at the board in excitement. They stand outside on a brick walkway with large trees shading them. In the foreground is a table with cookies and bags of chips.

Was Gilman Hall the first building constructed on Homewood campus? Can you guess when a photo was taken by what someone is wearing? Test out your university history skills at Hop Into History this 10/02 on Keyser Quad from 11 AM – 2 PM. We’ll also have some prizes and light snacks for you to grab.

Staff dining and caffeinating from the vending machines in the Johns Hopkins Hospital employee lounge, circa 1960. Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Office of Public Affairs Photograph Collection. #NationalCoffeeDay ☕

Exhibit Celebrates Wilmer Centennial

Check out "Eyes on Wilmer: 100 Years of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins," an exhibit in the Welch Library featuring items from our collections, along with items from the Institute of the History of Medicine's historical collections, and others. Read more here: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/article...

Obituary for Chrysoula Ponticas at Peaceful Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Center Chrysoula Chris Ponticas, age 90 years, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 4, 2025. She was born and raised in Baltimore, the oldest daughter of Luke and Tessea Carman, Baltimore restaurant...

The Chesney Archives mourns the loss of one of our beloved volunteers, Chris Ponticas, who passed away at age 90 on September 4, 2025. Chris was a joy and an inspiration. She will be missed. www.peacefulalternatives.com/obituary/chr...

Helen Taussig enjoying her garden and the company of her dogs, circa 1973. From our Helen B. Taussig Collection, photographer unknown.

This week has us feeling as "busy as fifty bees," as Edith Houghton Hooker wrote in this letter from our collections dated November 3, 1903. 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Consider indulging this weekend with recipes from the On Duty in the Kitchen, Again cookbook compiled by The Johns Hopkins Nurses' Alumni Association, part of our Constance Cole Waxter Collection. Sauerkraut Surprise Cake, anyone?

Welcome to this year's cohort of Vivien Thomas Scholars! We are always excited to visit with you each year and hope you enjoyed exploring materials from our Vivien Thomas Collection yesterday. 🌟

Voices of change: experiences of early women urology residents — a single institution qualitative research study - BMC Medical Education Objective To understand the experiences of early women urology residents at a single institution, as told in their own words. Methods A convenience sample of women residents who trained at the Brady U...

In February, former Hugh Hawkins fellow Aurora J. Grutman published her article in BMC Medical Education on her research titled, "Voices of change: experiences of early women urology residents — a single institution qualitative research study".

bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Mt. Washington campus fountain and octagon building

flowering tree outside of McAuley Hall on JHU Mt. Washington campus

A beautiful day on the Johns Hopkins Mt. Washington campus! 🌺🌼🌻

Attention incoming Blue Jays! Want to tour the library spaces on campus? Join us August 22nd at the BLC Patio at 2:00, 2:45. and 4:14 PM to get a personalized tour of our fantastic study spaces with Librarian for English, Philosophy, and Special Collections Student Engagement Heidi Herr.

In a recent accession, we found this 1918 letter fastened together using a metal nail! Interesting, but not good for archival preservation! The letter was written during Dr. Edwards A. Park's time serving with the American Red Cross in France during WWI.

Christmas Greetings, Dome

Santa hanging a Christmas wreath on the Dome

Merry Christmas, Dome

#ChristmasinJuly isn't just for Hallmark. We're feeling the Christmas spirit here at Chesney with the many holiday cards from Johns Hopkins Hospital, circa 1930s and 40s, that we have in our Photograph Collections🎄

postcard from 1928, drawing of western North Carolina roadway

text on back of 1928 postcard

This postcard from 1928 from Orthello Langworthy in the Lewis Weed Collection has us thinking about our upcoming long weekend and travel plans. Is it Friday yet?

Finding hope in a box Ragheeb Moazzem found surprising inspiration for a documentary in an archival box. The work ties together his own Bangledeshi heritage, public health history, and hope for the future.

“Today, millions of people have lived, but nobody knows where it came from. I feel like it’s a shame, it’s such an important part of Bangladeshi history that is relegated to the sidelines.”

magazine.krieger.jhu.edu/2025/05/find...

Two women in nursing uniforms read a magazine titled "The Hopkins Nurse."

It's National Nurses Week! Nurses are on the frontlines of health care and are integral to Johns Hopkins. Our collections illuminate the work of nurses across the institution, including JH School of Nursing records and images like this one of JH Hospital nurses circa 1978. Thank you for your work!

The poem mentions Meryl Streep's 1997 film "First Do No Harm", which features a family grappling with the disorder. Read Freeman's full article on the history of the Keto Diet via our catalog: medicalarchivescatalog.jhmi.edu/ArchivEra/Po...

A copied page of text: "Ode to the Ketogenic Diet The keto diet is at last More than just a past repast Some find you needn't even fast As done when Meryl was in the cast Charlie's fine, his spells no more They're hidden deep in days of yore Remember drugs, yes three or four That was all we did before. No company yet does make this diet, But when they do, there'll be a riot. As people rush the stores to buy it, Better than pills, you ought to try it. Patience, Jim, is now rewarded, Science moves but slowly forward. We've moved at last Past the diet's being a past repast."

The keto diet is known as a weight loss fad, but was originally developed to treat epilepsy before the use of anticonvulsant medication. Dr. John Freeman wrote this poem, "Ode to the Ketogenic Diet" as an opening to his 2013 article about the history of the treatment. National #Poetry Month

A clipping from a magazine, with the text: "This poem was written by Jacqueline McDaniels, Class of 93 to Doug, a patient with AIDS. Jackie knew and cared for him while working as a nursing assistant on Osler 8. TO DOUG I have only known you for a short time, but you touched a special place in my heart with your quirky smile and sense of humor and your baby face. I mourn — - for your lost future - for your future accomplishments - for all the special times not shared. My heart goes out to your mother, as I feel her pain, for I too am a mother and understand. I cry in sorrow — - for you - for your family - for myself and my helplessness - for all the countless others who have and will know your despair. I cry in sorrow for all your pain and all the suffering that you have endured. But, : I cry in joy — - for knowing that someday soon or someday later you will find peace and comfort in the loving and soothing arms of GOD. Know ... that I have been touched by you. Thank you." Vol. 91, No. 2

Many nursing students at Johns Hopkins cared for patients during the AIDS epidemic of 1980s and 90s. Poems, like this one from the Summer 1992 Nurses Alumnae Magazine, illuminate the emotional experience of caring for and befriending patients who are terminally ill.
National #Poetry Month

A flier promoting the Hugh Hawkins Research Fellowships and detailing that the fellowship stipend is $3,500 and the application deadline is April 14, 2025. At the top of the flier there is a black and white photo of two mascots, a bull and a dog, putting their hands up to their faces in surprise at seeing each other.

Are you interested in researching Hopkins history? Want to dive into archival collections? Apply for the Hugh Hawkins Research Fellowship now!

retrospective.jhu.edu/hopkins-fellowships

This poem is part of our William Osler Collection.

This poem was printed in our April 1946 Nurses Alumni Magazine.

A page from an old dinner program, text: "Our Regius Prof. Composed and Sung by The Saint Johns Hopkins Gastric Quartette at the dinner to Dr. Osler The Walled-off Castoria New York, May, 20 1905"

An old dinner program with the poem: "1. Our chief, we turn to thee, Beloved from sea to sea, To thee we sing. We love thy genial ways, Thy wit and merry plays, Thy matchless eyes' dark rays, And tribute bring. CHORUS-God save the mighty chief, We part from him in grief, God save our chief. God save our Regius Prof, Our hats to him we doff, God save our Regius Prof, God save our Prof. 2. Look at his arteries, Judge of his age by these, Scarce thirty-five . May he ne'er pass his prime In symptom or in sign, Younger in spite of time, Long live our chief. CHORUS-God save the mighty chief, etc. 3. May he find tophi there, Bardolphian noses rare, Undiagnosed. Long may his eye be keen, His touch to feel the spleen, To auscultate the Queen, This is our toast. CHORUS-God save the mighty chief, etc. 4. He'll find there devotees Of all the deities In England's realm. There Vulcan holds the fort, Venus and Bacchus sport, Mars also has his Court In London town. CHORUS-God save the mighty chief, etc. 5. May he come back to us, Still to inspire us, His absence brief. Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, Perennial chief. CHORUS-God save the mighty chief, etc."

Students and faculty also showed their regard for Osler by performing this poem, "Our Regius Prof.", at a 1905 dinner in his honor at the Waldorf-Historia. The poem was composed to the tune of "God Save the Queen" showing the esteem and cordiality he inspired from colleagues. National #Poetry Month

A page from an old magazine, with a poem: "ROUNDS WITH DR. OSLER By Dr. Thos. R. Boggs, J.H. 1901 I Haste! Haste! ye clerks, make break-fast brief; And follow close your lord and chief; With paper blank and pen in fist Let not a single note be missed When William Osler, K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., Makes his rounds. II No matter how much work may be Awaiting you beneath "Ward G." When on the bridge he's heard to sing, Drop all and wait upon the king- For William Osler, K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., Is making rounds. II See how the double doors sling back­- And in he comes with all his pack From North and South from West and East They flock like vultures to a feast­ When William Osler, K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., Is making rounds."

A continuation of the poem: "IV All sorts of folk are in his pack From city swell to country back­- Swine like they crowd each empty space- Crowd clerks and internes out of place When William Osler K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., Is making rounds. V Now when he's seen your case per-chance, And done his little song and dance, A cunning trap he lays for you, And holds four fingers up to view, Does William Osler K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., In making rounds. VI Says, "Mr. Blank," "Tell us what points About the swelling of the joints Have been impressed upon your brain Since you have followed in our train?" Says William Osler K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., While making rounds. VII You glibly give the list of points­ He made upon these self-same joints When last he talked upon the case. You stop and smile into the face Of William Osler K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., Who's making rounds. VIII Poor lad! Pride antedates a fall; For when you're sure you've named them all From out his sleeve he draws two more Which you have never heard before, Will William Osler K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., While making rounds. IX Cheer up sad hearts you're not alone, See, ere his morning's work is done, Unless some marvel come to pass, He'll prove each clerk in turn an ass, Will William Osler K.C.B., F.R.S., F.R.C.P., While making rounds."

Dr. William Osler, a founding doctor at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine, was instrumental in training medical students. A reprint of this 1901 poem "Rounds with Dr. Osler" describes the student experience of being quizzed by the doctor during rounds. National #Poetry Month.

Luckily you don't have to squint to read these materials - our Howard A. Kelly diaries are fully transcribed thanks to our stellar volunteers! You can view the full journals on our webpage.

A handwritten page from a journal with clear, orderly handwriting.

A handwritten page from a journal with informal and scribble-like handwriting.

Can't ready your doctor's handwriting? How about these pages from Dr. Howard A. Kelly's 1872 copybook - featuring his script as a 14-year-old composition student (left) and later as an adult (right).
#ArchivesHashtagParty #ArchivesHandwriting

Two women prepare food trays in a cafeteria.

A man moves straps food trays to a cart for delivery.

A woman hands a portion of food to a coworker.

This month we are celebrating #ArchivesFeast by highlighting the work of the Johns Hopkins Hospital food service workers, who provide meals for patients and staff every day. From our collections are images of food service staff circa 1969-1972 preparing meal trays for patients. #ArchivesHashtagParty

Ready to live: 40 years of HIV and AIDS leadership at Johns Hopkins A look back at how Johns Hopkins has led AIDS and HIV clinical care, research, and education locally and around the world

Read more about Hopkins' contributions to HIV and AIDS research in this month's The Dome: