Keith Duguid, who died on the 5th of March 2015 aged 73, was a former editor of the Journal of Visual Communication whilst under its previous titles, and a highly regarded member of the medical illustration profession.
Keith was born and grew up in Walsall, Staffordshire. On leaving school he studied photography at Wednesbury Technical College, and later at Manchester College of Science and Technology.
He chose medical photography as his career and in 1958 was appointed as a trainee medical photographer in the Department of Medical Illustration at the Manchester Royal Infirmary under Dr Robert Ollerenshaw. It was there that he met, and eventually married, Ann Davis. He stayed there for eight years during which time he furthered his photographic education. He was then offered an appointment as Basic Grade Medical Photographer at the Westminster Hospital Medical School, London, where his new director was Dr Peter Hansell.
Keith remained at the Westminster until 1985 where he worked his way up through the ranks, becoming in turn Senior Photographer and Deputy to the Head of Department. While at Westminster he obtained the final examination in medical photography of the Institute of British Photographers (now the BIPP). When Dr Hansell retired in 1982 Keith took over as Director.
Keith and Ann and their three children moved to Aberdeen in 1985 when he was appointed to the post of Director of Medical Illustration in the University of Aberdeen; a post he held until he retired in 2004.
Keith always displayed a keen interest in professional matters and, besides his numerous and valuable IMI activities, was long associated with the Medical Groups of the Royal Photographic Society and the British Institute of Professional Photography, and also with the London School of Medical Photography.
He was awarded Fellowships in Medical Photography of both the RPS and the BIPP, and an Honorary Fellowship of IMI.
Keith picked up numerous awards for his work, including several BMA Film Awards, one of which was the Harold E. Lewis Research Film Award for his study of “Vented Anaesthetic Gases”. He also won awards from the RPS Medical Group's Annual Competitions, including the Technical Award and the Gordon AV Award. In 1990 he was presented with the BIPP Presidential Award “For long and distinguished service to the progress of photography in medicine and to the maintenance and advancement of professional standards”
Keith published over twenty papers on various topics in medical photography, illustration, and audiovisual applications, and in addition he was responsible for four chapters in books. He was not only a well-known speaker at IMBI conferences but also at meetings overseas, including America and the Middle East.
Keith's keen interest in the advancement of professional knowledge led to numerous appointments in this field. For the RPS he was an examiner for the Fellowship and Associateship in Medical Photography. He was a member of the RPS Council and of the Awards Standing Committee. He was an examiner for the Higher Certificate in Medical Photography for the BIPP and also chairman and examiner for the IMI Fellowship and Associateship in Film, TV and Tape-Slide presentations. He was also a member of the Council of the London School of Medical Photography.
Keith acted as chairman of the IMI TV/AV Committee, and was secretary to its successor the Course Committee and he was an examiner for the Primary Certificate. He was also a member of IMI Council, conference chairman(Warwick, 1981) and, having served as a member of the Editorial Committee of The Journal of Audiovisual Media in Medicine, he took over as editor in 1981, a post he held until 1992.
From 1975 to 2001 he served as an adviser and producer of educational materials for the MRCP (UK) Part II Examination Board of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
While in Aberdeen Keith was instrumental in setting up a computer assisted learning (CAL) unit within the department of Medical Illustration. Like others he saw the importance of new technology in the work of the medical illustrator. The Aberdeen unit was one of the leading units of its kind in pioneering developments in CAL in medical education.
Away from work Keith was an accomplished painter and stained glass artist. And he was an able and talented craftsman, undertaking renovation of the highest standards to the family home in Aberdeen.
When he retired in 2004 Keith and Ann moved to Bearsden in Glasgow to be nearer their elder daughter and their two granddaughters. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 Keith bore his sickness and treatment with great fortitude and stoicism.
Keith is survived by Ann, his children Sally, Rebecca and Angus, and two granddaughters.
Modesty, good humour, common-sense, and reasoned argument made Keith one of the best liked and highly-regarded figures in the medical illustration profession.