An interesting group of sketches of the high society ladies in Cape Town , South Africa that my mother illustrated for the Cape Times in 1948. Her Excellency Mrs. G. Brand Van Zyl was the wife of the Governor General of South Africa, Gideon Van Zyl. The wife of Herbert Gearing, the mayor was in attendance and she appears to be wearing the ceremonial medal of her office. Vera de Villiers, the famous South African mezzo-soprano was there, her real name was Mrs. Albert Coates, nee Johanna Véronique Waterston Graaff. My research identifies Miss Adrina Otero as a famous Spanish dancer and movie star who even appeared in the 1934 Bob Hope movie “Soup to Nuts”.

I strongly suspect that these sketches were made during the reception from a distance and were not formal sit down portraits. My mother later listed them in repertoire of famous people she had sketched if only to impress the local French journalists who put great stock in these things, nothing wrong with a little self promotion.