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Another illustrator (really illustrators), since they
worked as a team, are the sisters Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. HBC does not know a great deal about them, but we have noted their delightful drawings in many wonderful children's books. The fashions in their drawings are not, of course, historically accurate. They are largely wonderfully imaginative for children. The fashions are based, however, on a variety of actual English historical styles--19th century styles. Their favorite period appears to be the early 19th century, especially for boys. The tunics, skeleton suits, and peaked caps worn during this period often appear in their drawings. The Grahame drawings do not, however, exclusively draw from this period. We also note notes clothes based on kilts, sailor suits, Fauntleroy suits, white socks, stripped stockings, and other fashions from the mid-19th century as well. We note far fewer 20th century garments like short pants. While some of the fashions illustrated are based on actual historical styles, there are some largely fictitious creations. Notice the lederhosen-like halter on the boy at the right (figure 1). HBC has never noticed boys wearing skeleton suits with anything appraoching a halter like this. The pom on the boy's peaked cap is another style that we can not confirm with actual historical styles--especially English styles.
Their mother was the noted stage designer and portrait painter Doris Zinkeisen. Certainly her artistic beant had a tremendous impact on her daughters. Their father was Captain Grahame Johnstone.
The twin sisters Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone were born June 1, 1928. HBC knows very little about their childhood except that they were very close and contgunued their close association both in school and in their artistic career.
Their childhood was during the 1930s and early 40s. We do not know how they were dresses as children.
After schooling during the Second World War at Heathfield, Ascot, they attended the St. Martin's School of Art, in the days of postwar austerity. The sisters studied clothing styles and Anne became quite an expert on 19th century military uniforms.
Neither of the twins married.
The sisters in early 1950s the twins had begun to be noticed by publishers and had acquired a griwing reputation as talented illustrators. Interestingly they worked together on almost every drawing they produced. They passed a drawing back and forth across their studio until they were satisfied with it. Janet specialized on animals and birds. Anne focused on the period costume that so dominated their work.
Although now not widely remembered, the twins at an early stahe of their career worked extensively in British television during the formative years of children's programing. They produced a considerable amount of artwork for programs that English HBC readers may recall, including "Tai Lu" , "Andy Pandy," and "The Flower Pot Men". (This is a good example that with the exception of American and to a lesser extent British television programing, TV programs are virtually unknown outside the country in which they were produced.) These programs were exceedingly popular with British children during the 1950s and 1960s.
The sisters' drawings are very destinctive and almost instantly recognizable. They drew with bold lines. Color was an important element in their drawings. They usually drew for lavisly printed books employing color printing for younger readeers. One observer opines, however, that "their use of colour was generally restrained rather than garish". The drawings were unabashedly sentimental, appealing to the younger children, who read or have the books read to them. The beautifully illustrated books are ideal to read to children as they allow younger children to explore the drawings before they can read. They also appeal to many parents perhaps longing for the childhood that they left so far behind. Some drawings were stand along pieces. As befits children's books, many drawings were part of well-designed page layouts, mixing in or framing the text of a page.
Kate Greenway must have been an important influemce to both Grahame Johnstone sisters. Greenway led the way as a woman illustrator in England. She drew wonderful animals as did Janet. Greenway also did magical images of chilodhood, although always of the same early 19th century period with the children in long dresses, pinafores, smocks, sketon suits, and tunics. Anne also clearly enjoyed drawing images of this period, although she also drew images from a wide range of other periods. Perhaps their love of Kate Greenways drawings and books drew them to recreating Greenway's book about apple pie. Perhaps not their most successful work, it is still diverting. The sisters also redid the Greeway colaboration with Robert Browning, The Pied Piper of Hamlin with a new seies of magical drawings.
HBC has noted their delightful drawings in many wonderful children's books. Their book illustrating career began to flower in the mid-1950s. The first important book was The Hundred and One Dalmatians--almost tailor made for the twin's unique talents. Dodie Smith, who was already a very successful playwright and author, invited them in 1956 to illustrate her first children's book, The Hundred and One Dalmatians. This enchanting book, includes some of Janet and Anne's most charming illustrations. It was an immediate success, captivated parents and children alike and was eventually made
into a feature-length cartoon by Walt Disney--although the Disney illustrators lacked the enchanting whimsey of Grahame Johnstone illustrations. Dodie Smith quickly followed-up with sequels, The Starlight Barking and The Midnight Kittens. She insisted that Janet and Anne illustrate these books making the sisters the most widely recognized illustrators of childrens books in England at the time. Their bunissess association developed into an enduring friendship until Smith died in November 1990. Anne and Janet also illustrated many of Paul Gallico's magical children's stories, working on Manxmouse , The Man who was Magic, and Miracle in the Wilderness. The sisters in fact illustrated more than a hundred books. As far as we know they were all children's books. The books included classic fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, J. M. Barrie, Charles Kingsley, a series based on Biblical tales, legends from Greece and Rome, as well as a large variety of rhyme and modern stories collections.
The fashions in their drawings are not, of course, precise recreations of historical costumes. They are largely wonderfully imaginative for children. The fashions are based, however, on a variety of actual English historical styles--19th century styles. Most of the costumes were drawn by Amme. In fact, Anne became a recognized expert in 19th-century military uniforms as well as deveoped considerable expertise on 19th century costume. For this reason, despite the whimsey, there is an underlying elementment of accuracy in the costume drawings. While some of the fashions illustrated are based on actual historical styles, there are some largely fictitious creations. Notice the lederhosen-like halter on the boy at right. HBC has never noticed boys wearing skeleton suits with anything appraoching a halter like this. The pom on the boy's peaked cap is another style that we can not confirm with actual historical styles--especially English styles.
While often associated with 19th century costumes, Grahame Johnstone sisters in fact drew children in a wide range of period costuming. Their favorite period appears to be the early 19th century, especially for boys clothing. The tunics, skeleton suits, and peaked caps worn during this period often appear in their drawings. The Grahame drawings do not, however, exclusively draw from this period. We also note notes clothes based on kilts, sailor suits, Fauntleroy suits, white socks, stripped stockings, and other fashions from the mid-19th century as well. We note far fewer 20th century garments like short pants. While the 19th century was definitely their, or perhaps Anne's favorite era, the Grahame Johnstone drawings cober virutally every historical epoc. Their Biblical drawings take us back to the early Hebrews. There are many drawings from classical antiquity illustrating the sagas of Greece and Rome. Fairy tale illustrations cober the medeveal and Renaissace eras. The Cavaleers and round hreds of the English Civil War are also covered.
HBC has noted a wide range of garments drawn by the Grahame sisters. Some of the favorite garments for boys included tunics, skeleton suits, sailor suits, Fauntleroy suits, and kilts. Girls were dreawn in long Empire dresses, shorter dresses with pantalettes, and pinafores. Both boya nd girls were dran in smocks. Many other garments included strap shoes and sandels, stockings, all kinds of headwear, and accessories of all kinds. Ruffled and lace collars were a favorite accessory or trim. While 19th centurt outfits predominated, there are also some 20th century outfits like short pants.
The sisters often focused on England, in part because many of the books that they illustrated were set in England. They also, however, illustrated children from many other countries. This was especially possible when they worked on some of their many books woth out a specific story or country setting. They often drew children in easily recogniazable national outfits. American boys might wear jeans or a cowboy suit. English boys might wear a schoolboy uniform. A French boy would wear a kilt. A Scottish boy would of course wear a kilt. I'm sure there are many other such national drawings, but those are the ones we have noted in the limited number of drawings available to us.
Janet died in a tragic accident during 1979. Anne found herself alone for the first time in her life. As a result of the tradegy, Anne unexpectedly responsible for the entire business enterprise that had been developed with her sister. Anne managed to honor all of outstanding commissions, even though it meant doing the part of the drawings that her sister had specialized in. Anne had to master the techniques for drawing and painting
animals, particularly horses, which had been the specialty of her sister. This was no small task. She managed to maintain the meticulous high standards that their partnership had set. On her own in the 1980s, she produced many fine illustrations. Two particularly notable books she illustrated were the editions of Peter Pan and The Water Babies published by Award. We also notice an edition of The Water Babies published by Chiswick Press during World War II. Each year she also produced Christmas cards for Royles which were very popular. Other projects included designs for limited edition Christmas jigsaw puzzles for Waddingtons (an important British bookstore chain). Her family always found impossible to finish. She even wrote and of course also illustrated two books about Santa Claus. Over the years, she became an expert in 19th-century military uniforms and she also often worked as an heraldic artist through the College of Arms. She died of cancer on May 25, 1998 aged 69.
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