Putney is home to the largest selection of original cartoons in the world

This week saw the opening of The Political Cartoon Gallery & Cafe. This evening the 'official opening party' was well attended by many local residents, cartoonist and faces from TV & stage, with the voices of many a politician resonating through the two floors thanks to the talented Barnes resident, impressionist, stand-up comic, actor and writer Alistair McGowan.

This evening 'in attendance' with Alistair were Boris Johnson, William Hague, Ed Milliband to name a few - the audience, was split between the two floor of the gallery responding well to Mr McGowan's jokes. It is probably the only time in his career AMcG has shared Kermit's stage "halfway up the stairs is the stair where I sit (perform) ..... there isn't any other stair quite like it!"



The gallery is owned and run by Dr Tim Benson, pictured above with Alistair McGowan. Tim is Britain's leading authority on political cartoons. The gallery is on two floors and has a selection of original cartoons from many a political era - I was made sentimental for my childhood by Barry Appleby's The Gambols - the happily married couple from the 70's found in the Daily Express.



Located on the Lower Richmond Road, The Political Cartoon Gallery and Cafe offers the widest selection of original cartoons for sale in the United Kingdom and the world. They plan to put on regular exhibitions of original cartoon art by leading British cartoonists such as Steve Bell, Martin Rowson, Dave Brown, Christian Adams and Peter Brookes as well as cartoonists of yesteryear such as Sir David Low, Leslie Illingworth, Sidney Strube, Fougasse, H. M. Bateman, E. H. Shepard and many many more.

They also sell non political original cartoons such as Alex Graham's Fred Basset, Reg Smythe's Andy Capp, Frank Dickens's Bristow and yes.... Barry Appleby's The Gambols.

Also on sale are their own political cartoon book publications and a unique selection of used cartoon books. On permanent display are the most famous and iconic political original cartoons of the last century such as Philip Zec's Don't lose it again! And The Price of petrol has gone up by one penny official! Whilst browsing the cartoon gallery you can enjoy a coffee and cake which they serve throughout the day.

Dr Tim Benson has produced numerous books on political cartoonists, including Churchill in Caricature, Low and the Dictators, The Cartoon Century: Modern Britain through the Eyes of Its Cartoonists, Drawing the Curtain: The Cold War in Cartoons and Over the Top: A Cartoon History of Australia at War.