author
J. W. (John Wilson) Bengough
1851–1923
A sharp-witted pioneer of Canadian political cartooning, he turned satire into a popular way of talking about public life. His work as a cartoonist, editor, lecturer, and writer helped shape how late 19th-century Canadians saw politics and power.
2 Audiobooks
A caricature history of Canadian politics : events from the union of 1841, as illustrated by cartoons from "Grip", and various other sources
by J. W. (John Wilson) Bengough
The Grip cartoons: vols. I & II, May 1873 to May 1874
by J. W. (John Wilson) Bengough
About the author
Born in Toronto on April 7, 1851, and raised partly in Whitby, Ontario, John Wilson Bengough became one of Canada's earliest and best-known editorial cartoonists. He first drew for The Globe and soon made a name for himself with lively political satire.
In 1873 he founded Grip, a weekly humour magazine that brought together cartoons, jokes, and commentary. The magazine became especially famous for its attacks on Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald during the Pacific Scandal, and Bengough's drawings helped establish editorial cartooning as a major force in Canadian journalism.
Bengough's career reached beyond cartooning. He also wrote poetry and prose, gave popular "chalk talks" and lectures, and took part in public life as a reform-minded speaker and political figure. He died in Toronto on October 2, 1923, and is remembered as a versatile and influential voice in Canadian cultural and political history.