author
J. W. (John Wilson) Bengough
1851–1923
A sharp-witted Canadian cartoonist and humorist, he helped shape political satire in the late 19th century. His drawings, writing, and public performances made him one of the country's most recognizable commentators on public life.
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 in Whitby, John Wilson Bengough became one of Canada's earliest and best-known editorial cartoonists. He worked for The Globe before launching the satirical weekly Grip in 1873, a magazine that mixed jokes, verse, commentary, and especially political cartoons.
Bengough is most often remembered for his attacks on political corruption and for his relentless caricatures of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald during the Pacific Scandal era. But he was more than a cartoonist: he was also an editor, publisher, poet, author, lecturer, and entertainer, known for popular "chalk talks" in which he combined speaking with live drawing.
His career stretched across journalism, publishing, and public performance, and he published works including A Caricature History of Canadian Politics. Bengough died in Toronto on October 2, 1923, leaving behind a lively record of Canadian politics and public culture from a formative period in the country's history.