Elsie ‘Bill’ Wisdom (1904-1972)-caricature
Elsie grew up with six brothers who gave her the nickname ‘Bill’. She started racing after her husband, Tommy Wisdom, had secretly entered her in The Ladies March Handicap race at the Brooklands track, which she won! She is portrayed here in the enormous 7.2 litre Leyland-Thomas in which she set a new lap record of 121 mph (195 km/h) at Brooklands.
These caricatures were drawn by Frederick Gordon Crosby in 1935. The racing drivers shown were well-known to the British racing enthusiasts of that era, particularly due to their performances at the Brooklands track and major events on the continent.