OUR COLLECTION

Totalling approximately 25,000 items, the collection of the Museum of Caricature is the largest compilation of caricatures and satirical press drawings in Poland. The holdings consist predominantly of works on paper, created using a variety of graphic and drawing techniques. A significant, though quantitatively smaller, part of the collection also includes satirical paintings and sculptures. The Museum prides itself on numerous unique and valuable examples of Polish and international caricature, ranging from the 18th century to the present day.

Importantly, the collection also includes a specialist library housing a carefully curated selection of books devoted to the history and theory of caricature. It features catalogues of group and solo exhibitions, Polish and international satirical and humorous periodicals dating from the 19th to the 21st century, as well as documentation relating to the work of Polish caricature artists.

The Department of Collections and Research at the Museum of Caricature is responsible for cataloguing and carrying out curatorial work on the Museum’s art and library holdings. It gathers materials and information on Polish and international caricature, and prepares exhibitions presented both at the Museum and at venues across Poland and abroad. The Department also produces exhibition catalogues and other museum publications, and oversees the digitisation of items in the collection.

The Museum of Caricature’s library holds over 10,000 volumes, including books, periodicals and ephemera from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, published in Poland and internationally. The collection includes albums, scholarly studies, and publications devoted to art and caricature artists, as well as exhibition catalogues. Among the periodicals are widely read satirical weeklies, biweeklies, monthlies and one-day publications, alongside rare Polish and international satirical magazines.

The Department provides access to its library and archival materials for researchers, publishers, students and other users in the reading room, by prior appointment (by phone or email). Library and archival materials are available for consultation on site only and are not loaned out.