Orpen Caricatures

During her time at Hill End Hospital, Diana (Dickie) Orpen had plenty of time to become familiar with the personalities and traits amongst the staff. She would use any spare time and her wry sense of humour to produce light-hearted, and perceptive caricatures of all the surgical team members.

She made a particular study of the unit’s lead Plastic Surgeon, Rainsford Mowlem. Orpen depicts him first as a species of surgical hominid ape, frustrated by the hospital director, Dr Kimber. Next, we see him looking haggard in the upper corner of a procedure drawing she had clearly decided would not be used in the clinical record. He seems always to be depicted smoking.