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Giles - Drawn to Suffolk

Popular Cartoonist’s Work Comes Home

Ipswich Borough Council’s Town Hall Galleries is pleased to host the work of local hero, cartoonist Giles with a comprehensive display of Giles cartoons and relating objects, focusing on Ipswich and the locality.

Ronald "Carl" Giles was a national institution. He chronicled this country's history and society through fifty years of change from the late ’30’s until the mid 90’s. As one of the most well known and highly acclaimed cartoonists of the last century, Giles worked for the leading newspapers Daily Express and Sunday Express through which he introduced many recognisable characters for people’s entertainment; including that of the Royal Family’s. With many original characters (some of which he based on people he had met e.g. Mr Chalk who taught him in his youth), his greatest creation was The Family, an instantly recognisable cast of characters, overwhelmed by a horde of mischievous children but always under the stern control of the immortal Grandma. Giles continued to amuse the Daily Express readership until 1989 but continued working for the Sunday Express until 1991.

Throughout the length of his London based career Giles resided just outside Ipswich preferring the town and the Suffolk countryside, where he found it easier to work than the bustle of London. GILES: Drawn to Suffolk takes its focus from Giles’ fondness of the locality, presenting works that illustrate the town’s places and people together with ephemera from his studio which includes, for example, his drawing board and chair, drawing equipment, a collection of constabulary helmets (illustrated in one of the cartoons) and photographs.

For more information see: www.visualarts-ipswich.org.uk/tosee/level2/GilesDrawnToSuffolk.asp

There is also an exhibition in London running at the same time: Giles - One of the Family and the BCA has created a catalogue to accompany the exhibition available for £25 plus p&p.