the Topolski archives are kept in Felix Topolski’s former studio a railway arch by Waterloo station.

Felix Toploski RA 1907-1989 was an expressionist artist, and more famously an illustrator and draftsman o, Born in Poland and working in London from his early 30’s Topolski’s easy line, dynamic curiosity and energy led him into a important chronicllor of the 20th Century.

Liberation of rome, June 1944 private collection

As an offical war artist toploski travelled on eastern western fronts, and was a witness to the liberation of Belsen concentration camp.after drawing the Queens coronation for the Polsih Government, Topolski began a a fortnightly print that became an annual ” Topolski’s Chronicles” from 1954 till his death

in Volume 1 Topolski set out his agenda

I HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME THAT I MUST START THESE BROADSHEETS SOME DAY. MY REASONS, THOUGH PERHAPS COMERCIALLY UNSOUND, ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME: I HAVE AN URGE TO DRAW LIFE AND TO COMMUNICATE MY PICTORIAL CHRONICLE TO MY CONTEMPORARIES; AND, HAVING BEEN PERSUADED THAT I AM GOOD AT TRAPPING THE SPIRIT AND SHAPE OF OUR TIME, I ASSUME THAT SUCH A CONTINUOUS PANORAMA, WHEN COLLECTED AND PRESERVED, AS I HOPE, OVER MANY YEARS, WILL BECOME A UNIQUE DOCUMENT. THE CONTENT WILL NOT BE SUBDUED BY ANY RULES ………

queens coronation from Vol 1, topolskis chronicles

Topolski’s fast line and easy to recognise style made him a popular illustrator in the 60’s and 70’s

topolski’s wife and daniel, and illustrations of dublin shows that his rapid pen ibelongs to more than a cartoonist

Topolski’s work has fallen out of favour as the life he captured and the brillaint portraits he made are ignored, as the life of Britain in the 60s and 70s are forgotten.

I visited hte Topolski archives as I love his line and his rapid style of drawing, how in seemingly chaotic lines he forms a coherent form. I am also interest in how he used his art to report, and as a former reporter I hope to be able to capture life with my pencil and pen