Barry Fantoni is selling his archive of 3,500 original Times cartoons at Bonhams Modern Picture sale in Knightsbridge on 19 July.

Fantoni produced cartoons for the paper every weekday from 1983 – 1990, summing up the burning issues of the time with a few strokes of his pen. Some of the drawings are very much of their era – a cartoon about the Polish Solidarity leader, Lech Walesa, for example, depends on having been around at the time – but others show how, nearly 30 years later, we’re still worrying about the same issues – the future of Trident, for instance, or concerns over lenient sentences for rapists.

Fantoni got the job by chance. The Times resident pocket cartoonist, Marc Boxer, had resigned suddenly and Fantoni, who was already contributing general features to the newspaper, was invited to take over. He was contracted to produce a cartoon every day for six days.

After scouring the early morning news, he sketched out six rough ideas and phoned them through to the editorial team who chose one to be worked up for publication. A courier then collected the finished art work at noon. Under the terms of his contract, however, Fantoni had to be available in case changing news required a different angle so he was never really off duty.

The archive, which consists of the cartoons themselves, Fantoni’s related day books of ideas, and cuttings from the Times of the published work, is estimated at £1,000-1,500.

Barry Fantoni says:

I got the job as the Times Dairy Cartoonist by accident.

My predecessor was Mark Boxer. He had a dry wit and highly original style of drawing. His cartoons were much admired and one of the reasons why the Times Dairy was popular. I was one of the many who looked forward to them. One day his cartoon failed to appear. A week went by. Still no Mark. I rung up the editor, Charles Douglas-Home, to find out why?

He explained that there had been an issue over salary and Mark had resigned. He then asked if I wanted the job? I was already contributing art criticism and general features but this would be a major progression. I asked him how much I would get? I was offered a sum twice what I had expected. I accepted without hesitation.

Charles then outlined what my new job would entail.

Mark had only produced three cartoons a week. The Times wanted six cartoons, one for every day the paper was published. I did as I was asked.

Early each morning I scoured that day’s Times for stories that would make suitable subjects for cartoons to pe published the day. I usually selected six. I scribbled roughs of my ideas in a large sketch book and at around ten o’ clock, phoned them through to a sub editor. A choice was made and I then drew up the original. I used pen and ink and mechanical tints. The drawings were twice as big as the printed versions.

At around noon, a motorcycle courier would pick up the finished artwork and by the afternoon it would be ready to print. If there was a change in the story that required me redrawing or writing a new caption, my contract stated I was to be available. This meant I was never off the news treadmill.

Twice a week I would go into the office, where I shared a desk with Mel Calman, and did my cartoon on the spot. At the same time I would pick up the artwork from the previous week and use the visit to keep in touch with the many changes that were taking place. The biggest was Murdoch’s decision to move to Wapping and dispense with the print unions.

I did roughly 3,500 cartoons from 1983 to 1990, when Simon Jenkins replaced Charles Wilson as editor. This did not suit me. Jenkins and I had often crossed swords and I knew we could not work together. So I resigned. And in any event, 3,500 cartoons is enough for anyone.