Mobile Phone in the year 1943. "Telephones of the Future will be easier and cheaper", Diary sheet of 29th March 1943. Courtesy of the Storm P. Museum. 

Mobile Phone in the Year 1943

He was a cabaret artist, actor, painter, illustrator, author, animator; the popular all-around artist who with his satirical bite and pictures of word and simple lines turned against the modern conception of art of his age. But it is probably as a cartoonist that Robert Storm Petersen (1882-1949) is best known. He is the originator of more than 60,000 cartoons. A large part of these was the so-called diary sheets which he drew for the newspaper B.T. from 1917 onwards. Several of these are on display in the coming exhibition in the museum café. In the drawings which were made during the years 1938-1945, Storm P. is commenting on contemporary movements within the post and telecommunication sector, he is solving problems with his ingenious, mechanical arrangements - and he predicts the coming of the mobile phone.   

"Chain Letters are again Prevalent". Courtesy of the Storm P. Museum. 

Satire and Criticism

To Storm P. the tragic-comical meaninglessness of life was an important source of inspiration. He often places the humour and satire with outsiders or people far from the elite in power. He criticizes the carefree view on existence and call attention to the dangers in connection with uncritical admiration of modern development. As in one of the drawings in the exhibition which shows an Apparatus for stamping of letters. It only takes four men to ensure that the postage stamp has been pressed safely onto the letter. Rather than a classic artist he was a social critic who wanted us to see.  

The exhibition that can be seen from 16^th March to 13^th June 2004 has been produced with willing assistance from the Storm P. Museum.