Doris Zinkeisen

Scottish sisters Doris and Anna Zinkeisen were both artists. Doris was a theatrical costume and set designer, painter, commercial artist and writer, while Anna was a painter and muralist. Both sisters painted murals for the passenger liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, and both were official war artists during World War II. At age 16, Doris painted Anna’s portrait, which hung in the Royal Academy Exhibition in 1918. Doris was a gold, silver and bronze medal winner at the Paris Salon. She was also an excellent show jumper and competed at many major shows, winning the Supreme Hack Championship at the International Horse of the Year show at Olympia in 1934.

Doris’ work included three days at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, shortly after liberation. The memories of Bergen-Belsen affected her and gave her nightmares for the rest of her life. Both sisters also worked as auxiliary nurses during the war. During World War II she was the official War artist for the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade. For her services during the War she was made a Serving Sister of the Order of St. John in 1945 and that same year she designed the Royal Air Force Christmas card. During the war she designed costumes for Old Vic productions Richard III and Arms and the Man starring Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier and Margaret Rutherford.

Doris was a very popular society painter, her paintings depicting the lifestyle of the upper class. She trained at the Royal Academy Schools and exhibited her work in London, Paris and the United States. In addition to painting, Doris had a very successful career as a costume and set designer for the theatre and the newly emerging British film industry. She thus became acquainted with some of the great personalities of the inter-war years. She also produced a range of commercial art, including posters for London Transport in 1939.

In the 1920s Doris dated and was reportedly engaged to the film director James Whale, known for horror films such as Frankenstein, as well as for his homosexuality. She eventually married naval officer Edward Grahame Johnstone in 1927 and had twin daughters and a son. The twins Janet and Anne Johnstone later became children’s book illustrators.

Doris created several paintings of riders, especially women, including equestrian medal winner Pat Smythe and her own sister Anna. Unfortunately, her painting listed with the anonymous title Lady’s Mount could not be identified. Regency Racing, however, is known to be an oil painting depicting a racetrack scene from the early 19th century.