The Guardian News & Media Archive houses over 110 original illustrations by the anarchist illustrator, Clifford Harper.

A self-taught graphic artist, Harper uses a distinct style of bold illustrations.

Although drawn in a style resembling a woodcut, his illustrations are produced using pencil, pen and ink. Despite his unique visual style, he has never worked in woodcut. All of his work is drawn, rather than cut or printed, as its appearance might suggest.

Harper began work in the art department of a print works, learning the skills that would later shape his illustrations. A committed anarchist, he brought these skills to the underground scene where he faced limited access to print production. Colour was considered a luxury, so it became important to be able to produce strong black and white images. These early limitations were central to his development as a graphic artist and helped to shape his distinctive style. Throughout his career he has continued to work largely in monochrome or with few colours.

One of the founders of the London Eel Pie Island commune in the late 1960s, Harper has remained involved in the international anarchist movement. He has worked for many radical and alternative publications, as well as many of the main British newspapers, including the Guardian.

He is perhaps most well known for his iconic Country Diary drawings, which first appeared in the newspaper in November 1996 and featured a distinctive black and white style.

Harper provided illustrations for the 'Last Word' column by English philosopher AC Grayling from September 1999 to May 2002. The column explored philosophical topics ranging from paganism to speciesism.

The GNM Archive contains 114 original illustrations by Harper produced for the newspaper, most of which accompanied the 'Last Word' column. These illustrations, produced using pen, ink and watercolour, have recently been catalogued. Their descriptions can now be viewed online via the GNM Archive Catalogue.

Researchers can make an appointment to consult the collection by contacting the archive team.