Ink drawing by Michael ffolkes titled “At least this one seems to be extinct.” The composition features a group of volcanoes labelled Algeria, Cuba, Laos, Congo, Belgium, S.A., each erupting, while a central dormant volcano – shaped as a caricature of Hugh Gaitskell – stands inactive with a sign reading “Mt. Gaitskell.” Three observers stand at the base, one pointing toward the silent peak. The caption is inscribed below the image. Signed ffolkes within the composition. Newly framed under museum glass.
Michael ffolkes, born Brian Davis (British, 1925–1988), was a cartoonist and illustrator active in post-war British print media. After service in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, he studied at St Martin’s School of Art. He began contributing to Punch in the early 1950s and went on to publish work in The New Yorker, The Spectator, Private Eye, and several national newspapers. Ffolkes also illustrated books and worked as a storyboard artist for television and film productions. His career encompassed editorial cartooning, humorous illustration, and visual commentary across mid- to late-20th-century British publications.