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John Frith interviewed by Shirley McKechnie [sound recording]
Bib ID 1813652
Format AudioAudio
Author Frith, John E., 1906-2000
Access Conditions Access open for research, personal copies and public use. 
Description 1994 Apr. 30-1994 May 1. 
8 sound tape reels ; 7 in. 
Summary

Frith, a cartoonist, talks about his family background; early employment; talent for drawing caricatures and his drawing of Captain Roald Amundsen. He then gives his impressions of Japan soon after it had been devastated by an earthquake in 1923. Frith then describes coming to Australia in 1929; employment with "Bulletin" as a cartoonist and "master of the gags" and involvement in creating cartoon ideas for Norman Lindsay. He then describes meeting and drawing Sir Isaac Isaacs, Billy Hughes, Woolcott Forbes and Robert Menzies. Frith then recounts a story about Jack Lang and the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932; talks about drawing Harry S. Truman and Sir Granville Bantock and discusses the case of Dobell and the Archibald Prize.

In 1944 he moved to the "Sydney Morning Herald" and he discusses his first major assignment regarding Arthur Calwell; meeting and drawing other politicians such as John Curtin, Eddie Ward, H. V. Evatt, Ben Chifley and Howard Beale and the nationalisation of banking and his cartooning response. Frith then talks about his move to Melbourne in 1951 to work for the "Melbourne Herald" and he describes his cartoon of Hillary's conquest of Mt. Everest and his involvement with Henry Bolte. Frith concludes with advice for young cartoon artists today.

Notes

Working duplicate and cassette copies made.

Index/Finding Aid Note Transcript available (typescript, 113 leaves) 
Subjects Frith, John E., - 1906-2000 - Interviews.  |  Cartoonists - Australia - Interviews.
Occupation Cartoonists.
Other Authors McKechnie, Shirley, 1926-
Details Collect From
ORAL TRC 3056
Copy: Recording
Petherick Reading Room (Oral History)
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ORAL TRC 3056 (transcript)
Copy: Transcript
Petherick Reading Room (Oral History)
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