Instantly recognisable as the image of Winston Churchill appearing on the five-pound note, the iconic “Roaring Lion” portrait – stolen from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottowa, Canada, and replaced with a fake – has been newly recovered from Italy. The story goes that Churchill’s famous scowl in the image was down to photographer Yousuf Karsh removing his subject’s cigar moments before taking the picture.
Churchill may not have appreciated losing his cigar – but what did he think about the photo? An artist himself, and someone frequently both lampooned and lauded in cartoon form throughout his political career, there was no escaping the way the world saw him. How did he feel about being ridiculed – or celebrated – by cartoonists, and how did he respond?
In an event to mark the 150th anniversary of Churchill’s birth, BRLSI is pleased to welcome Dr Tim Benson (author of Churchill: A Life in Cartoons) on Monday 14th October 2024 for an enlightening examination of Churchill’s career through contemporary political cartoons.
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