~Janet & Anne, Grahame Johnstone

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Janet Grahame Johnstone (1 June 1928 - 1979)
and Anne Grahame Johnstone (1 Jun 1928 - 25 May 1998)
were twin sisters and British children's book illustrators
best known for their delicate, detailed prolific artwork
and for illustrating Dodie Smith's classic book
"The Hundred and One Dalmatians."
..
Books illustrated include:
-Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben,
- Folk Tales of the World,
-The Hundred and One Dalmatians,
-Miracle in the Wilderness,
-My Book of Enchanting Nursery Rhymes,
-Peter Pan and Wendy,
-Santa Claus is Coming to Town,
-Tales of the Greeks and Trojans.
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The twins were born in 1928 to British muralist and
costume designer Doris Zinkeisen and her husband,
Captain Grahame Johnstone.
They attended the Heathfield School in Ascot, Berkshire
during World War II; their artistic bent nurtured
both at home and at school. Later, they attended
St Martin's School of Art in London,
where they studied period clothing styles.
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The Johnstone sisters' popularity took off in
the early 1950s, when they were noticed by
publishers and acquired a growing reputation
as talented illustrators. They always worked together,
passing drawings back and forth across their studio
until both twins were satisfied with the final outcome.
Janet specialized in animals and birds.
Anne focused on the period costumes that so dominated
their work. Because of their symbiotic collaboration,
until the death of Janet in 1979, there was never a book
illustrated under either one of their names alone.
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The first important book the twins worked on was
The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith,
who was already a very successful playwright
and author. In 1956 she invited them to illustrate
her first children's book, and it was an immediate
success, captivating parents and children alike.
Eventually, Smith's book was made into a
feature-length animated film by Walt Disney.
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The twins' further success with later Smith books,
The Starlight Barking and The Midnight Kittens,
made them the most widely recognized illustrators
of children's books in England at the time.
Their business association developed into an
enduring friendship until Smith died in November 1990.
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