British Cartoon Archive at University of Kent

The Centre is based on the University's collection of cartoons, numbering over 90,000. They consist both in original art form and in copies which have been published in British newspapers. The main priority of the Centre is to catalogue the cartoon images thereby making them accessible to researchers via the computer database. This contains over 120,000 records and is growing every day.
Centre staff undertake commissioned research for authors, publishers and TV companies. We run a picture library service for which we make a charge. We lend cartoon artwork to galleries and museums and put together sponsored exhibitions with accompanying catalogues. There is also a collection of some 5,000 books, articles, slide packs, videos and cassettes about cartoons and cartoonists to support the researcher.

Collection details

Archives, Fine Art, Personalities, Social History

Key artists and exhibits

• The Centre's collection includes work by more than 350 British cartoonists, and the work of more than 250 of them is included on the online database.

Collections services

• General guide to collections available
• Object identification and/or written enquiry service
• Public access available to collections information
• Specialist publications on collections available
• Object study facilities available (enquire in advance)