The museum has a new and significant collection of original cartoons and sculptures by John Frith (1906-2000), one of Australia’s most prolific and celebrated cartoonists and artists. Frith’s career spanned forty years, most famously at The Herald in Melbourne. In our new website, John Frith: the art of politics, you can view these cartoons and sculptures, all of which provide a fascinating glimpse into the 1960s. We are very grateful to the Frith family for their kind donation of these works.

In this edited excerpt from an oral history interview, Jeffrey Frith, John’s son, discusses the techniques and approaches that his father took to his cartoon art, with ‘the living line’ being a key concept.

Jeffrey Frith was recorded for the Oral History Program by Campbell Rhodes in 2013. The full interview can be listened to in the Australian Prime Ministers Centre. Please contact the Centre prior to your visit and quote the reference number OHI 313.