This colorful image of a ‘Trini’ – the affectionate nickname for a woman who comes from the picturesque twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago – is by the artist Mildred Smith Almandoz. She spent a large part of her life in Trinidad and this image is dated 1951.

Born in Rhode Island, Mildred met her husband Aubrey, an official for the Bank of Canada, on a trip to Venezuela and in the 1930s, the adventurous young couple moved to Trinidad.

Milly, as she liked to be called, taught art on her new island home and it's been said that many Trinidadian artists benefited from her expertise. Her own paintings fondly depicted Caribbean culture and were mostly sold to tourists who arrived by cruise ships in the 50s and 60s.

The American artist was commissioned to create murals for commercial buildings in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad, and was also well-known for her paintings on ceramic tiles.

This illustration was for the Rainbow Terrace restaurant in the Renown Building in Port of Spain, an eating place probably aimed at tourists. The restaurant had an a la carte menu serving Chinese and French-American dishes and a modest wine and liquor list.

We think Milly was born in Providence, Rhode Island, around 1910 and died in her adopted home of Trinidad.