About the artist
Donia Esther Nachshen (1903-1987), a British book illustrator and poster artist, gained recognition for her World War Two posters for the British government. Born in Zhitomir, Ukraine (then Russia), Nachshen's Jewish family fled to London after an anti-Jewish pogrom in 1905. She excelled at school and studied at the Slade School of Art. In the 1920s, Nachshen established herself as a successful book designer, incorporating elements of Russian folk art and art deco. Her notable works include illustrations for Arthur Schnitzler, Anatole France, the Haggadah, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Butler, and Radio Times. Throughout the war, she designed posters for prominent campaigns like "Make Do and Mend" and "Telegraph Less." Nachshen also continued illustrating books, including works by Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Enid Blyton. After the war, she resided in London, continuing to illustrate Russian literature and poetry.
