Design and Art Australia Online

painter and cartoonist, was born in England; he came to Wellington, New Zealand as a boy. While working as an elevator boy in Wellington’s King’s Chambers he decorated the lift with caricatures of passengers – informal exhibitions that led to him being employed as cartoonist, regular court reporter and occasional leader writer on Wellington’s New Zealand Truth in 1911-22. His cartoons include one of the Liberal/Labour Alliance 1915 (ill. Grant, 88); one approving a German professor being sacked from the Chair of Modern Languages at Wellington’s Victoria University in 1915 (ill. Grant 100); a joke about the many, rapidly changing NZ Governments 1916 (ill. Grant 91); conscription and its many exemptions 1916 (ill. Grant 98); A Popular Idea (Massy as the puppet of 'Fat’) 1916 (ill. Grant 99); The Cranks’ Chorus (re six o’clock closing being adopted in 1917 due to the combined singing of 'The Wowser’ and 'Jimmy Woodser’) 1916 (ill. Grant 105); The Hindoo Peril 1917 (ill. Grant 128); the Tory/ Liberal split within the NZ Govt 1919 (ill. Grant 89); and For These Small Mercies – Thanks (death of small farmer squashed by 'Fat’ and his boy 'Overdraft’) 1922.

In 1919 Glover succeeded Brodie Mack as political cartoonist on the New Zealand Free Lance . He remained until 1922, drawing cover cartoons under the pseudonym 'T. Ellis’ (a version of his Christian names, acc. Grant), presumably because he was also employed by Truth , e.g. Communist monsters camouflaging themselves with smiling masks for the elections 1919 (ill. Grant, 91); The Gallipoli Gamble 1919 (ill. 97); Tommy’s English Bride 1919 (ill. 102); The Soldier Intervenes (to overturn prohibition) 1919; Cupid’s Way Out (returned soldiers will marry the female secretaries who had their jobs during the war) 1919 (ill. 102); The Alien Wave (of Asian migrants) 1920; Will it come to this? (Immigrant etc passengers sitting in train with Digger and farmer strap-hanging) 1920 (last two ill. 129); and Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves (re Depression) 1921. He also drew cartoons for the Public Service Journal in 1922 (ill. Grant 112).

In 1922 Glover was brought to Victoria to join the Bulletin , where he remained until 1928/1931 acc. Grant. Examples include the caricature Hamilton Webber, Musical Director, New Palace Theatre, Melbourne (title with editor’s “blue pencil” amendments) published 24 March 1923 (Lebovic 1997, cat.18, $390); (Rocking the Baby) or (Dirty Wack(?) and Dirty Linen)/ Mr Hughes has been making hostile speeches against the Government and Mr Bruce has disclosed that the Hughes inspired Commonwealth Shipping Venture has resulted in a deficit of £2,800,000 in the last two years , pen and ink original with editorial amendments published 12 July 1923 (Lebovic 1997, cat.19, $390); Giving the “Glad” – or “The Glad Eye” c.1925 ( Bulletin original Ballarat Fine Art Gallery [BFAG], gift of Les Tanner 1971); When England Wins a Test Match , very large original (Mitchell Library [ML] Px*D430/11) published 22 July 1926 of King knighting the English captain on the field watched by a delirious crowd; Getting Near 1927 (Aboriginal couple heading towards 'The last Camp’, ill. King, 133); * Snoberra , a parody of Canberra based on a newspaper report that 'the Chairman of the Federal Capital Commission has expressed the fear that civil servants and residents at Canberra may form cliques and set up social castes’/ 'Mrs Blandfordia [smacking son]: “This will teach you my lad to play with that Acton boy –why their home hasn’t got a front porch” or – “their home cost under £2,000”’, undated (presumably 1920s) large Bulletin original (ML Px D430/7).

From 1931 acc. Grant (1928 acc. Moore et al.) Glover worked as political cartoonist on the Sun and drew children’s comics for the Sunday Sun , notably 'Skeeter and His Magic Ring’. His original cartoons about Sir Eric Spooner for the Sun (1937) and Sunday Sun (Oct 1934, 1935-37) are in the ML’s Spooner Papers. Glover appears to have continued to send cartoons to the Bulletin , e.g. (very hackneyed bush subject) The Test of True Love ./ 'Lily: “How did you come to fall in love with me, Dave?”/ Dave: “The first time I met yer, Liz, soon as you sqz me hand I knoo you wuz a good milker”’ 1930 (ill. Rolfe, 166); caricature of John Bowser, ex-Premier of Victoria who defeated ex-premier Lawson for speakership, Bulletin 8 May 1934 (original BFAG).

When Glover collapsed and died at his desk on 7 September 1938, aged 47, that day’s Sun carried an obituary noting the essential 'kindly’ nature of his humour, as well as his usual page four cartoon. (An obituary in Man October 1938 noted he had been employed on the Sydney Sun 'for the past ten years’.) Politicians he had caricatured came to his funeral and Ian Grant notes that Governor-General Lord Gowrie, Prime Minister Lyons (said to have had many originals on his walls), Vic Premier Stevens, External Affairs Minister W.M. Hughes and Opposition Leader Lang all seem to have been devotees and collectors of his work. Stuart Peterson succeeded him on the Sun .

Writers:

Kerr, Joan

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2007