Image: Luke Worm Sculpture, Collection of Museum London, Gift of the Tingley Family, 2018.
Our upcoming historical exhibition is going to be a biographical survey of beloved London political cartoonist, Merle Randolph Tingley (1917-2017). As he was so involved with the community, we would like the exhibition to reflect that and are looking for input from anyone who knew him, was inspired by him, or has works by him. If you have a story or object to share and would like to get involved, please contact our Curator of Regional History, Amber Lloydlangston (alloydla@museumlondon.ca, 519-661-0333x4275)!
About Merle Tingley
In 1947, Merle Randolph Tingley (1921-2017) rolled into London on a beat up Harley. He had spent weeks travelling across Canada looking for work as a cartoonist. Like other newspapers across the country, the London Free Press didn’t have an opening, but they did need a photo developer and retoucher. Tingley accepted the job but also kept drawing until finally one of his cartoons appeared in the paper: Mayor George Wenige, sitting on a throne and wearing a crown, to mark his election for an eighth term. Londoners had their first chuckle over a “Ting” cartoon and were about to have thousands more over the next 40 years. Learn more about London’s beloved Ting in Museum London’s upcoming exhibition.