Heatherleys Highlight for LGBT+ Month 2024
Welcome to the first instalment of our series celebrating LGBT+ History Month, dedicated to showcasing the remarkable contributions of our LGBT+ staff, students, and alumni. Explore more highlights on our blog and social media. 👉 Follow us here.
Heatherleys Alumna, Dorothy Burroughes (1883 -1963) – Queer Creatures: Art, Animals and Society
The artist, writer and illustrator Dorothy Burroughes makes a striking subject in this portrait. Her pale, face and pointed nose are a sharp contrast against the black backdrop. Dark hair, in a shingle bob, curls pointedly across her cheek as the fringe frames her eye.
Born in London in 1883 into a wealthy family, Burroughes spent the majority of her life in London. Though her later years were spent comfortably in the picturesque surroundings of Turville Heath, near Henley-on-Thames. The marks she made as she etched her way into the art world were equally as striking.
Education and Early Career
Burroughes’s formal art education began at Slade School of Fine Art and The Heatherley School of Fine Art in the years preceding the First World War, before furthering her studies in Germany. During the early stages of her career, she gained recognition for her contributions to several magazines, including Bystander, Sketch, and the Illustrated London News.
Her artistic abilities extended beyond the printed page, as she began to venture into designing posters. The most notable of which were her commissions for the London Underground. First among these is the poster Book to Regents Park. This was her big break in the world of art and design and a commercial hit. Its popularity led to her second commission, For the Zoo, made in the style of a Japanese colour woodcut. This print, earned even more acclaim and, supposedly, became London Underground’s most requested poster to date.
Illustrator and Author
In the 1930s and 1940s, Dorothy embarked on a journey into the enchanting realm of children’s literature. She authored and illustrated a series of children’s books that captivated audiences, including: The Amazing Adventures of Little Brown Bear (1930), Journeyings of Selina Squirrel and her Friends (1931), and The Magic Herb (1945).
Other books she illustrated were the aptly named Queer Beasts at the Zoo (1927) and Queer Birds at the Zoo (1927) authored by G Davidson. Though word ‘Queer’, certainly held an entirely different meaning at the time of their printing. For the Gregynog Press edition of The Story of the Red Deer (1936) she made eleven charming colour prints.
Despite a long career representing exotic animals in paint and print, and an honorary fellowship from the Zoological Society (1925), Dorothy struggled with the pain of witnessing her captive subjects. She confessed, one wolf’s eyes ‘were too full of dreams and pain and captivity to bear looking at, and to attempt to draw them seemed sacrilege’.
By this time Dorothy was in her forties, though she was said to look much younger, enough to be just beginning her career. In 1923 a newspaper described her as, ‘almost boyish in her wide velour hat and a navy frock fashioned on the famous uniform of the Blue Coat School’.
Partners, Lovers, Girlfriends
From 1913 Burroughes lived with her partner, the novelist, Vere Hutchinson in unfurnished rooms off the Harrow Road, at a time when gay men were being incarcerated for ‘gross indecency’, with terms of over ten years for certain acts under the Criminal Law Act. A vague law that could be applied to any act of intimacy. (PinkNews, 2022)
By the early twenties, when Vere and Dorrothy were living in a large house in Maida Vale, they narrowly escaped the introduction of a law making lesbianism illegal. Luckily, some might say, the House of Lords thought its passing might attract more ‘feeble minded women’ and increase the lesbian population. For, up till then, ‘only one in a thousand women knew about being gay’, according to the House of Lords. And so, women were free to share beds as “friends”, ‘for reasons of fear or nervousness, and the desire for mutual protection’. (ibid.)
Vere’s father was a general and her mother a member of the noble Scottish family, the Stuart Menteths. Yet, despite their privileged backgrounds and successful careers, the couple struggled financially. They were forced to let the rooms or their Maida Vale home and occupy the basement. They even resorted to breeding West Highland Terriers until their situation improved enough for them to move to Hampstead in 1928.
Vere authored five books before she succumbed to a prolonged illness in 1931, which resulted in her premature death at age forty-one. Various records site the couple as lovers or girlfriends, however the significance of their relationship was evident as Vere entrusted all her possessions and copyright to Dorothy.
The creative synergy between the two women undoubtedly influenced their respective works. They collaborated on the book The Naked Man, written by Vere and illustrated by Dorothy. A review of the book in the New York Times stated, ‘Hutchinson gets her striking title for this her latest story from no Adam-like reversion on the part of her central character. He remains conventionally attired with every button doing its full duty to the end of the narrative.’
Legacy
Burroughes became a member of the Society of Women Artists in 1923 and the Royal Society of British Artists in 1925. Her works found homes in prestigious institutions such as the Fine Art Society in London, the London Transport Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Dorothy Burroughes’s legacy lives on through her contributions to art and literature. Her ability to navigate diverse mediums and themes, coupled with her enduring passion for storytelling, left a significant impression on the artistic landscape. As we revisit her illustrations and immerse ourselves in the worlds depicted, we are reminded of the lasting impact of a gifted artist and storyteller.
References:
- Twentieth Century Posters (2018) DOROTHY MARY BURROUGHES (1883-1963). Availlable at: https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/02/10/uk-lesbian-ban-lgbt-history/ (Accessed on: 01/02/2024)
- PinkNews (2022) Absurd but true story of the UK lesbianism ban that never was – and why terrified men scrapped. Availlable at: https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/02/10/uk-lesbian-ban-lgbt-history/ (Accessed on: 01/02/2024)
- Elisa Rolle. Queer Places: Dorothy Mary L. Burroughes-Burroughes. Availlable at: http://www.elisarolle.com/queerplaces/ch-d-e/Dorothy%20Burroughes.html (Accessed on: 01/02/2024)
- Elisa Rolle. Queer Places: Vere Stuart Menteth Hutchinson. Availlable at: http://www.elisarolle.com/queerplaces/uvwxyz/Vere%20Stuart%20Menteth%20Hutchinson.html (Accessed on: 01/02/2024)
- Victoria and Albert Museum Collections. Object Record: The Naked Man, by Vere Hutchinson. Availlable at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O759285/the-naked-man-by-vere-book-jacket-dorothy-burroughes/
Inspired by Dorothy’s artistic journey?
Learn the techniques that brought Dorothy Burroughes’s enchanting creatures to life on canvas and print. Embark on an artistic adventure inspired by the wildlife at London Zoo. Or, discover the power of printmaking, and turn your drawings into print editions or craft your own poster designs.
Drawing from Animals at London Zoo
Tuesday 18 June 2024
10:00am – 1.00pm
Tutor: Laura Smith NEAC
Course #: LZ51
Join Laura Smith for a morning of drawing from animals at London Zoo. Laura is passionate about drawing from observation. She believes that it slows down our looking and allows us to see more.
On this short course you’ll follow in the footsteps of Heatherleys Alumna, Dorothy Burroughs, who’s commercial success came with a commission to design a zoo poster for London Underground.
Book Here
Inspired by Dorothy’s prints?
Learn to make prints like Dorothy Burroughs on one of our Printmaking Courses.
Introduction to Printmaking
12 Mondays – 6.30pm – 9.00pm
Open Level Printmaking
12 Thursdays – 10.00am – 4.00pm
Open Level Printmaking
12 Fridays – 10.00am – 4.00pm
Already know your way around the print room?
Drop into our Open Access Print Workshop
Our Open Access Print Workshop offers self-led use of printmaking facilities to those with some printmaking experience. Work independently in the areas of Intaglio, Relief and Screenprinting.
Morning Sessions: 10.00am – 12.30pm
Afternoon Sessions: 1.30pm – 4.00pm
Ashley Bailey