Joseph Lee "Lee" 1901 -1975
Cartoonist for "Pall Mall Gazette", "The Bystander", "Sunday Express" (until 1926), "Daily Chronicle", " Daily Mail" and finally "London Evening News", 1934-65, where his famous "London Laughs" began.

Each day a cartoon appeared: working with brush and pen he created superb characterisations, with the humour of many remaining fresh and very perceptive.

His "Smiling Through" series kept London happier through the worrying early days of the war. During the course of his career 9000 cartoons appeared, though these are all that remain. Here are the original detailed anarchic drawings on art board, with editorial corrections to many.

At an award ceremony in London his contemporaries at the Cartoonists' Club said of him:

"a real craftsman" ("Jak")
"a beautiful draughtsman who captured the spirit of London" ("Jon")
"total admiration....amazed at his ability to produce so much wonderful work" ("Giles")

So welcome to a world of fussy MCC colonels, £.s.d., beer at 4d a pint, oysters at 1/6 a dozen, bowler hats and pinstripes, cockney life, bus conductors, fog, street urchins, ration coupons, wireless, stout ladies, friendly bobbies, London clubs, city streets, nationalisation, patriotism, home life etc. each background truthfully represented in an authentic setting.