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Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Len Norris fonds
General material designation
- graphic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1953-1988 (Creation)
- Creator
- Norris, Leonard Matheson, 1913-1997
Physical description area
Physical description
470 drawings
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Leonard Matheson Norris was born December 1, 1913 in London, England and came to Canada in 1926, to Port Arthur, Ontario. He was employed as a draftsman in the offices of the Port Arthur City Engineers, and in the 1930s relocated to Toronto. After one year of night courses at the Ontario College of Art, he joined the Stanfield Advertising Agency as advertising artist and art director from 1938-1940. In 1940, he enrolled in the Canadian Army where he served as the editor, writer and illustrator for a magazine published by the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps.From 1945 to 1950, he worked as art director for Maclean-Hunter Publishing. In 1950 Norris moved to Vancouver and became editorial cartoonist for the Vancouver Sun newspaper. In 1951 he won the National Newspaper Award for caricature. He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1974, and to the News Hall of Fame in Toronto in 1979. His popularity was also reflected in the sales of annual books of reprints of his cartoons. Norris drew for the Vancouver Sun for 38 years, until he officially retired at the age of 75, in 1988. He died in 1997 at the age of 83.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds consists of original drawings by Len Norris, created while he was employed as the political cartoonist for the Vancouver Sun newspaper. The first accession consists of 200 cartoons published in the Vancouver Sun between August 1953 and December 1988. The second accession consists of 270 rough sketches; some are undated, and the others date from May 1986 to December 1988. These sketches functioned as preliminary concept drawings for selection and editorial approval, and illustrate the artist's method of working. In some cases, these rough drawings became finished and published cartoons.
The cartoons document the career of Len Norris, and reflect political and social issues of the period. Subjects include recurring British Columbia social and political issues, and include figures from the B.C. political scene such as W.A.C. Bennett, Phil Gagliardi, Robert Strachan, Dave Barrett and Bill Vander Zalm.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Acquired from Len Norris through his agent (Pawluk, Johnstone, Voight), in two accessions.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
No access restrictions apply.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Copyright transferred to BC Archives in 1990. See accession file 199006-001.
Finding aids
The Len Norris drawings are available with digital images through the BC Archives website catalogue under "Norris, Leonard Matheson."
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
Archives code(s): 198907-001, 199006-001.
General note
Accession number(s): 198907-001; 199006-001
Physical description
Ink, with applied toned laminate overlays, on art board.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Norris, Leonard Matheson, 1913-1997 (Subject)