Doris Gwendoline Helliwell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 16 December 1895 Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield, England |
| Died | 10 September 1952 (aged 56) Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Education | Associate in Music (Honours), Trinity College London |
| Occupation | Concert Pianist |
| Spouses | Francesco Ferramosca
(m. 1916; died 1932)Michele Scuto (Scuto Mitchell)
(m. 1932; died 1937)John Francois Burger
(m. 1942–1984) |
| Children | 2 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Major competition(s) | Our Beauty Competition 1923 (Winner) |
Doris Gwendoline Helliwell (born 16 December 1895) was an English pianist and beauty pageant titleholder. She was a renowned concert pianist in early Johannesburg, South Africa and was awarded Honours in the Associate in Music examinations through Trinity College, London.
In 1916, Doris married prominent violinist Francesco Ferramosca[1] (b. Francescantonio Ferramosca, 23 August 1893, Viggiano, Italy).
After Ferramosca died in 1932, she married Michele Scuto (name changed to Scuto Mitchell). After Mitchell died a few years later, she married the big-game hunter John Francois Burger. With Burger, she traveled extensively throughout Southern Africa, big-game hunting and gold prospecting. Accompanying them on their journeys was Doris' pet leopard, Spots. These expeditions are documented in various books written by Burger.[2][3]
As Mrs. Doris Ferramosca she won the inaugural Southern African beauty competition, held by South African Pictorial ("The Union's National Weekly") in 1923,[4] which was a precursor to the official Miss South Africa pageant.
- ^ https://i.ibb.co/HpQt24F/Francesco01.jpg [bare URL image file]
- ^ "John F Burger Books". Shakari Connection. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "John F. Burger vorgestellt im Namibiana Buchdepot". www.namibiana.de. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ South African Pictorial, “Our Beauty Competition”, Vol. XVII, No. 434, November 24, 1923.