Cartoons in History

Although not called cartoons at the time, this form of drawing has been around for centuries. An example of a very early 'cartoon' is the anti-Semitic drawing found on a medieval document in the Public Record Office.
http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/snapshots

Anti- Semitic medieval drawing from 1233

This type of drawing is rare and the political cartoon, as we would start to recognise it, did not begin appearing regularly until the 16th century onwards. The Protestant Reformation in Germany (1517) (a split in the established church) made use of cartoons, although these religious drawings lacked much use of caricature. This early visual protest was used in order to gain support from classes of people who could not read. As use of this style of drawing continued, caricature was used more frequently in making a political point, leading to the development of the cartoon we are now familiar with. The invention of printing provided the means to circulate cartoons to a wide audience, ensuring the development of this medium.

From the 18th century the political cartoon became a recognised form of commentary, taking serious issues and presenting them in a funny accessible way, designed to affect the viewer's opinion. In Britain, men such as James Gillray (1757-1815) and Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) who didn't hold back when making fun of political figures and issues, were developing the political cartoon. A politer approach was adopted by the next generation of British cartoonists led by George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Meanwhile, during stormy political times in 1830, their French counterparts had founded the first modern illustrated weekly publication, 'La Caricature'. This was eventually suppressed after a four-year battle, but already in place to take over was a daily newspaper, 'Le Charivari' (1832), featuring a new cartoon each day, which survived for 5 years. Due to the nature of their criticisms of the ruling parties, the cartoonists faced prison sentences and harassment and can be credited with influencing affairs at the time.

'Cartoon from circa 1820 poking fun at the Queen Caroline affair'

The example set by the French of printing regular cartoons in publications was soon followed elsewhere in Europe. In Britain the world famous 'Punch' began life in 1841, featuring the work of men like John Leech (1817-1864) whose drawings were the first to actually be called cartoons.Some of Leech's more contentious work led to the publication being banned abroad in countries like Russia. Another cartoonist to emerge at this time was John Tenniel (1820-1914) whose more dignified work became very influential, particularly his representation of symbols such as Britannia, John Bull, Uncle Sam, the British Lion and the Russian Bear.

As the twentieth century began, the production of daily newspapers was increasing and the political cartoon became a regular and established feature of journalism. The two World Wars and the subsequent peace agreements unsurprisingly provided fertile ground for the cartoonist. Cartoonists such as Dyson, Strube, Illingworth and Low drew some of the most notable British cartoons of these years. During wartime the political cartoon was a powerful weapon, used to boost morale and push propaganda. In Britain, the Ministry of Information made extensive use of political cartoons to promote a number of messages. The use of cartoons continued to grow after the war with newspapers such as The Times adopting a daily cartoon in 1966. As we enter the 21st Century the political cartoon, a tradition begun hundreds of years earlier, in a mostly illiterate society, has established a role for itself and is here to stay. Open almost any newspaper today and you can see the latest offering from this long established profession.

'Cartoon produced by the Ministry of Information during the Second World War showing the Allies defeating the Axis Powers.'