Brisley, Joyce Lankester, 1896-

Joyce Lankester Brisley, children's writer and illustrator, was born on 6th Feb 1896 in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. She was the second of three sisters; Nina was a year younger and Ethel the eldest. Joyce's father, George Brisley, was a local pharmacist whilst his wife, Constance, looked after the family. All three sisters attended evening classes at Hastings School of Art. By the time the girls were in their teens, Ethel was exhibiting at the Royal Academy and Joyce and Nina were contributing illustrations to Home chat .

After the break-up of the Brisley's marriage in June 1912, Constance Brisley and her three daughters moved to a small flat in Brixton, London. Joyce and Nina enrolled at Lambeth School of Art in Oct, seeking to overcome the loss of their father's income by earning a living from writing stories and illustrating Christmas cards, postcards and children's annuals.

The family were dedicated Christian Scientists and in 1918, when the family moved to Barons Court, a contact at their local Christian Science church encouraged both Joyce and Nina to submit stories and drawings to an American magazine, The Christian Science monitor . Joyce's first story of Milly-Molly-Mandy appeared in The Christian Science monitor in Oct 1925. Stories of the little girl proved popular and the first collection of them, Milly-Molly-Mandy stories , was published in the UK by George G. Harrap in 1928.

Nina Kennard Brisley married in 1933 and became the illustrator of Elinor Brent-Dyer's much-loved Chalet School series. Ethel Brisley died in 1961 and Joyce in Sept 1978, just a few months after Nina.

From the guide to the Joyce Lankester Brisley children's author: papers, 1903-1976, (V&A Archive of Art and Design)