Museum Metadata Exchange

Names

Name PrimaryNorm Mitchell Cartoon collection

IDs

ID LocalDIR 8

ID UriOffline Only

Descriptions

Brief DescriptionThis collection of over 200 cartoons are the original pen and ink sketches drawn by cartoonist Norm Mitchell during his tenure with the Adelaide paper The News between 1965 and 1980.

Full DescriptionThe collection consists of more than 200 cartoon drawings spanning a range of different topics including constitutional issues, elections, trade unions, racial discrimination, parliamentary legislation, politicians, political parties, water, taxation, transport, public servants, and the arts. The cartoons include some of Mitchell’s personal observations of topical issues while others relate to general issues of a broader spectrum. The collection was donated to History SA by Norm Mitchell’s widow.

SignificanceThis collection comprises original drawings by the artist Norm Mitchell who worked as Editorial Cartoonist for the Murdoch owned paper The News in Adelaide from 1950 until his death in 1980. The cartoons are a humorous and generally cynical expose of topical issues in the social, political and administrative history of South Australia. Mitchell’s use of everyday language and concepts delivered a particular outlook on South Australian life, events and politics. Mitchell was afforded national recognition in 1975 when he was awarded the 42nd Walkley Award for the best Australian cartoon for a comment on opinion-poll driven politics. Greatly admired by his contemporaries and the public, Mitchell was prolific, producing one cartoon a day for 48 weeks of the year during his 30 years with the paper.

AccessA History SA collection. Access to collection items is by appointment only.

Subjects

localArtworks; Cartoons; Political cartoons

pontArtworks; Cartoons; Political cartoons

person_orgHistory SA, South Australia

Coverage Spatial

TextSouth Australia

Coverage Temporal

From1965

To1980

Dates

Date Record Updated2012-05-30 23:43

Date Created in MME2011-05-02 15:22