The collection consists of 2, 163 original ink cartoons by Don Wallace, depicting international, national, and local political events, figures, and issues from 1978 and 2007. It includes Canadian-focused cartoons, primarily covering political and social issues in British Columbia, particularly Nanaimo and Vancouver Island, as well as international cartoons addressing global events and figures. In addition to 36 loose newspaper clippings of Wallace’s editorial cartoons from local Nanaimo newspapers, some undated, the collection contains a portrait photograph and drawing of Wallace, and financial records related to this work. The cartoons cover a wide range of political and social themes, reflecting the shifting cultural and political climate of the time.
As political cartoons are intended to criticize, mock or satirize political events and issues, some content in this collection may include images or language that may be discriminatory or offensive. The content found in these collections serve as artifacts to be analyzed for their historic value and are a product of their time and perspective of its creator. They are not intended to perpetuate or endorse further discriminatory or offensive attitudes.
For more information on harmful language in library collections, please see Harmful Language Statement. For more information on decolonizing descriptive practice in library collections, please see Decolonizing Descriptive Practice.
Finding aids are collection guides or tools that provide detailed lists and descriptions of archival material. They are often named after the main subject of the collection or person who donated the collection, and include useful information about its contents and context. You can use the finding aid to find items in a collection you are interested in accessing in person. Items are requested by box number.
View the Finding Aid below. A full itemized description list of cartoons with title and context descriptions is available.