Saturday, August 16, 2014

London’s Cartoon Museum


Britain invented the cartoon art-form. Now we can celebrate it.

HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, opened London’s Cartoon Museum on 22nd February 2006.

Situated at 35 Little Russell Street, a stone's throw from The British Museum, The Cartoon Museum exhibits approximately 230 examples of British cartoons, caricature, and comic art from the 18th century to the present day.

Two galleries providing an overview of the history of cartoons and comics in Britain from the 18th century to the present
  • Temporary exhibition gallery 
  • Shop with books, catalogues, posters, funny cards and gifts 
  • Cartooning and Animation workshops for kids in half-term and holidays 
  • Learning Programme for Schools
Everything within the galleries is constantly changing – for reasons of conservation and also to provide variety and interest for returning visitors.

The Cartoon Museum is at 35 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HH. Telephone 0207 580 8155.

For press enquiries contact Anita O’Brien
Email: info@cartoonmuseum.org
Website: www.cartoonmuseum.org

Opening times: Monday- Saturday 10.30-5.30pm and Sunday 12-5.30pm.* 
Admission: £5.50 for adults and £4 for concessions, £3 students, Under 18s, Art Fund Members and Friends of The Cartoon Museum are Free.
10% discount for groups of 10+. Groups of 10+ students - £2 per person.

* Please note we are occasionally closed to rehang exhibitions and during the Christmas/ New Year period. Check website for full details.

Cartoon Museum Mission Statement
The Cartoon Museum is dedicated to preserving the best of British cartoons, caricatures, comics and animation, and to establishing a museum with a gallery, archives and innovative exhibitions to make the creativity of cartoon art past and present, accessible to all for the purposes of education, research and enjoyment.

The Cartoon Art Trust is a registered charity which was established in 1988 with the aim of founding a museum devoted to cartoons, caricature and comics. Founded by a group of cartoonists, collectors and enthusiasts the museum continues to be supported by artists, collectors and members of the public of all ages and interests.

The Cartoon Museum is an independent museum which is completely self-funded receiving no government or local government funding. Since 1990 it has been showing exhibitions of the work of leading cartoonists.

Original artwork on display ranges from Hogarth, Gillray, Cruikshank and Rowlandson, to Heath Robinson, Searle, Giles, Matt, Posy Simmonds, Steve Bell and Scarfe as well as rare comic items from The Beano, The Dandy, Eagle, 2000 AD and others. 

Events at the museum, which is sited in an old dairy in Bloomsbury, include adult and children's cartooning and animation classes, as well as regular family fun days. The Trust's patron is HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh KGKT who is a collector and great supporter of this British art-form.

The Cartoon Museum Collection has more than 2,000 examples of the very best of British cartoon art and is regularly accessing more important works. Donations include the important collection of the late actor Allan Cuthbertson, a major collection of the work of William Heath Robinson and contemporary works by The British Cartoonists’ Association: items by Steve Bell, Peter Brookes, Chris Riddell, Martin Rowson, Dave Brown, Matt, Mac, Jacky Fleming, Ronald Searle.and many others. 

Recently the collection has also been boosted by donations of important comic art: Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, Jane of The Daily Mirror, and work by Jack Kirby and Hunt Emerson.

For conservation reasons and to give visitors the opportunity to see the widest possible range of artwork cartoons in the main galleries are also regularly changed.

The museum’s Heneage Library of over 6000 books and 5,000 comics is available for research.

The Cartoon Museum has 800 Friends who receive a newsletter thrice yearly and attend lectures and events.

Some Previous Exhibitions

2007 
Alice in Sunderland: A Labyrinth of Dreams 
 Heath Robinson’s Helpful Solutions 

2008 
€urobo££ocks! – Britain’s relationship with Europe
Pont: Observing the British at Home and Abroad 

2008 
Beano and Dandy Birthday Bash
Giles 

2010 
30 Years of Viz
Ronald Searle Graphic Master 

2011 
Ink and the Bottle: Drunken Cartoonists and Drink in Cartoons
Les Très Riches Heures de Mrs Mole

Drawings by Ronald Searle for his wife Monica during her chemotherapy 2011 Marriage à la    Mode: Royals and Commoners in and out of Love
Doctor Who in Comics 

2012 
H. M. Bateman – The Man Who Went Mad on Paper 75 Years of the Dandy – Biffs, Bangs and Banana Skins 

2013 
Trog, Flook – and Humph too!
An exhibition of work by Trog (Wally Fawkes) from Punch, The Daily Mail, Observer and Daily Telegraph together with work by his friend fellow Jazz musician and cartoonist Humphrey Lyttleton.
Steadman @ 77
A retrospective exhibition of work by Ralph Steadman

For more information or to request images contact Anita O’Brien on 020 7631 -793 or email info@cartoonmuseum.org

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