Staniforth, Joseph Morewood (1863 - 1921)

Joseph Morewood or J M Staniforth original cartoon artwork.

J M Staniforth was one of the first full time political cartoonists in Britain. He worked for the Western Mail, Evening Express, Sunday Weekly and the News of the World. At the turn of the 20th Century he was the only political cartoonist working for a sunday paper. Staniforth has been described as '...the most important visual commentator on Welsh affairs ever to work in the country.' Staniforth trained as a lithographic printer for the Western Mail before becoming an art reviewer. A promising young artist he studied at the Cardiff School of Art, where he worked primarily in paint, but slowly moved from brush work to inks where he found a talent for cartoons and caricature. He started publishing cartoons in 1889 after being spotted by the Western Mail's editor Henry Carr. Although his cartoons followed editorial lines, with editor Carr appearing in several stating his own opinion, In 1893, Henry Carr took over the Sunday News of the World, redesigning the paper’s layout and placing Staniforth cartoons on the front page of every issue. In 1911 Staniforth was commissioned, by then Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George to produce a piece of artwork to commemorate the investiture of Prince Edward as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. The artwork, in pencil and watercolour, was kept by Lloyd George who hung it in his study. In later years, Staniforth worked alongside Leslie Illingworth at the Western Mail. On his death, Illingworth did a tribute to Staniforth in a cartoon which is featured in the Cartoon Century by Timothy S. Benson.