Feliks Topolski (1907-1989) was a Polish-born artist who settled in London and became one of the most significant documentary illustrators of the 20th century. He was primarily known as a draughtsman, beginning his career as a war artist during World War II, where he captured scenes on various fronts including Russia, Italy and the Middle East. Afterward, he established a studio in London and thrived with a career full of personal projects and notable professional commissions. Topolski’s art is now available in the Digital Library.

Topolski’s most remarkable and enduring achievement was his self-published periodical, “Topolski’s Chronicle.” This ambitious project of reportage illustration spanned more than 25 years (1953-1979) and represented a unique intersection of journalism and art. The Chronicle was distributed biweekly as a broadsheet publication, offering subscribers an intimate glimpse into world events through Topolski’s perceptive eye and expressive hand. Each issue combined vivid illustrations with insightful textual commentary, documenting everything from political upheavals to cultural phenomena across continents. The Marriott Library subscribed to the Chronicle from the first issue and holds a nearly complete collection of the publication.

There are two different ways for library patrons to examine Topolski’s Chronicle.  

1. Access to the physical print version can be requested through the library catalog or by visiting the information desks on levels 1 and 3.  
2. Thanks to the Digital Library team, work has begun to digitize the library’s holdings of the Chronicle. This is an ongoing project, and the currently digitized files can be found here.  

Keep an eye on the Marriott Library’s social media for highlighted images from the collection this year. 

Questions about this collection? Contact Luke Leither at luke.leither@utah.edu