Satirising a Statesman: Cartoonist exhibition marks 150 years since birth of Churchill

To mark 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, a new exhibition will trace the political cartoonists who glamorised, satirised and vilified the political leader.

Churchill in Cartoons: Satirising a Statesman will open at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth Road, on November 29, offering a unique insight into the changing nature of how Churchill was represented throughout his life and beyond. 

Featuring 24 original artworks dating from 1909 to 2003, visitors will discover how these portrayals influenced public perception during his lifetime and shaped our understanding of his role in 20th century history. 

Throughout his career, Churchill appeared in thousands of cartoons, with his distinctive image, including his cigar and wartime ‘V’ sign, enduring. 

The exhibition begins with Churchill’s time as an MP, as well as his Admiralty role and controversial decisions during the First World War. 

A cartoon from Punch magazine in 1914 depicts Churchill supporting the Roman sea god Neptune with aircraft, representing the establishment of the Royal Naval Air Service.

In contrast, the 1930s were known as Churchill’s ‘Wilderness Years’, when his views, particularly on Indian self-rule, made him unpopular with many. 

In a cartoon from 1934, by Australian artist Will Dyson, Churchill is portrayed as an irate policeman, desperately chasing Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin’s Indian Reform Bill, which is moving at a snail’s pace.

During the Second World War, cartoons published in Britain reflected Churchill’s popularity as the great wartime leader and as the war turned global, as a world statesman.

Soon after the Second World War ended in Europe, Churchill lost the 1945 General Election, which shocked many, including Churchill. US cartoonist Jim Berryman uses Churchill’s own words – ‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few’ – in a cartoon marking the election results.

The exhibition will also feature modern day cartoonists to draw parallels with modern day politicians. On display will be a cartoon by Swiss-born artist Peter Schrank, comparing Churchill’s image as a strong war leader with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In addition to cartoons by British artists, there will be original works by cartoonists from countries including the US, Russia, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The exhibition will also have an interactive display showing 16 cartoons from other countries around the world, including India, Japan, Germany, Cuba, Hungary and the Soviet Union. 

The exhibition also includes two original publications, both of which feature a cartoon of Churchill on their pages. An edition of Punch from 1915 shows him arriving on the Western Front in army uniform, whilst a copy of the Daily Mirror from 1940 has a Philip Zec cartoon of Churchill squaring up to Hitler. 

Kate Clements, lead curator of Churchill in Cartoons: Satirising a Statesman, said: “Almost 150 years after his birth, Churchill remains one of the best-known public figures in history. 

“His distinctive image was a gift to satirical cartoonists and throughout his career, particularly during the Second World War, cartoons played a significant part in shaping how people thought of him.

“Through this exhibition, we offer visitors a new and different way of exploring Churchill’s complicated career and his enduring legacy.”  

Churchill in Cartoons: Satirising a Statesman opens at IWM London on November 29, and closes on February 23, 2025.

Pictured top: ‘May the many owe much to these few’, Daily Mail, October 4, 1940 (Picture: Associated Newspapers Ltd. IWM/ Leslie Illingworth)