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British Library of Political and Economic Science

LOW, Sir David Alexander Cecil, 1891-1963, Knight, cartoonist and caricaturist

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0097 LOW

Held at: British Library of Political and Economic Science

Title: LOW, Sir David Alexander Cecil, 1891-1963, Knight, cartoonist and caricaturist

Date(s): 1906-1949

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 34 volumes and 1 parcel

Name of creator(s): Low | Sir | David Alexander Cecil | 1891-1963 | Knight | cartoonist and caricaturist

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born in New Zealand, 1891; educated at Christchurch Boys' High School; political cartoonist, Spectator and Canterbury Times; joined Sydney Bulletin, 1911,and became resident cartoonist, 1914; cartoons published in The Billy Book (Sydney, 1918); arrived in London, 1919; political cartoonist, The Star, 1919-1926; Evening Standard, 1926-1949; joined Daily Herald, 1950-1953; Manchester Guardian, 1953; created "Colonel Blimp"; knighted, 1962; died 1963. Publications: Lloyd George and Co. (Allen and Unwin, London, 1922); Low and I (Methuen and Co, London, 1923); Low and I holiday book (Daily News, London, 1925); The best of Low (Jonathan Cape, London, 1930); Low's Russian sketchbook (Victor Gollancz, London, 1932); Low and Terry (Hutchinson and Co, London, 1934); The New Rake's Progress (Hutchinson and Co, London, 1934); Ye Madde Designer (The Studio, London, 1935); Political Parade (Cresset Press, London, 1936); Low Again (Cresset Press, London, 1938); A Cartoon History of our Times (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1939); Europe since Versailles (Harmondsworth, 1939); Europe at War (Allen Lane, Harmondsworth, 1940); Low's War Cartoons (Cresset Press, London, 1941); The World at War (Harmondsworth, New York, 1942); C'est la Guerre (New Europe Publishing Company, London, 1943); Válka Zaeala Mnichovem (New Europe Publishing Company, London, 1945); Years of Wrath (Victor Gollancz, London, 1949); Low's company (Methuen and Co, London, 1952); Low Visibility (Cresset Press, London, 1953); Low's Autobiography (Michael Joseph, London, 1956); The Fearful Fifties (Bodley Head, London, 1960); British Cartoonists, Caricaturists and Comic Artists (William Collins, London, 1942).

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Sir David Alexander Cecil Low, 1906-1949, comprising press cuttings books containing his set of copies of his cartoons for the New Zealand Spectator, The Star, The Evening Standard, The Daily Herald, The Manchester Guardian, Colliers Magazine, Picture Post, and The Leader. Also includes some press cuttings, 1919-1961, and texts of radio broadcasts, 1932-1943.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The collection consists mainly of bound volumes.

Conditions governing access:

Open.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright retained by the donor and their heirs. No documents may be photocopied.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Unbound handlist available.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Given by the family in 1965 and 1967.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

The following miscellaneous items from the Low collection have been microfilmed: 5 cartoons, volumes unknown, dating from 1945-51 (Archives MF 7); Low volume 30 (Archives MF 314-315); Low volume 4 (Archives MF 316); Low various from volumes 5, 6, 8, 10-14 (full list available with microfilm) (Archives MF 200).

Related material:

The BLPES holds further material relating to David Low in the papers of Edward Hugh John Neale Dalton, Baron Dalton (Ref: Dalton 5/8 and 17/4), the Royal Economic Society (Ref: RES 9/8/12-13), and the Romney Street Group (Ref: Romney Street Group 1/2 and 2/1). The House of Lords Record Office holds correspondence with William Maxwell Aitken, 1^st Baron Beaverbrook, 1924-1964 (Ref: BBK C/226); the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, has correspondence with Edward John Thompson (Ref: MSS Eng c5294).

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Sources: British Library of Political and Economic Science Archives catalogue; Who's Who 1897-1996 (A & C Black, 1996); British Library On-Line Public Access Catalogue 97; Historical Manuscripts Commission National Register of Archives. Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.