Allen was born in the
Stamford Hill area of London where she was taught painting from an early age by her parents. Her father was the painter Hugh Allen and she also took life-classes in
Chelsea. As a child Daphne Allen had two books,
The Birth of the Opal and ''A Child's Visions'', published. She also contributed her illustrations to some books, including works by her father and to Agnes Hart's
The Birch Tree. She also began exhibiting with the
Society of Women Artists, at the Burlington Gallery, the Dudley Gallery, St. Paul's Deanery and had several shows at the Drummond Gallery. ==References==