THE WORLD OF J & K exhibition presents a selection of choice items from the Archive of the established Polish Merchant Shipping Company JANCZYK & KARNICKI S.A. of the Baltic Port of Danzig, present day Gdansk.

This is the first international exhibition of the J & K Company’s merchandise, memorabilia and art thanks to the generosity of the Directors of J & K Co’s Archive in Danzig/Gdansk. Stripdagen Comics Biennale Haarlem 2022 therefore thanks them and their Curators George Trapp and Robert McNab.

On view are cartoons, books, paintings, sculpture, photography, film and a rare surviving example of an early comic strip entitled JANCZYK & KARNICKI. This strip was first published in London in 1969 in the magazine TOO MUCH FAR OUT ROCK n’ROLL.

TOO MUCH FAR OUT ROCK n’ROLL is now recognised as the UK’s first Independent Underground Comic Book. It was the work of artists Robert McNab, Rory Fellowes and George Trapp.

The JANCZYK & KARNICKI strip was subsequently developed by Robert McNab and George Trapp with support from The J & K All Stars Studio group. The present exhibition displays some of their work.

THE WORLD OF J & K focuses on the J & K Co’s flagship SS RANGOON, her Captain, Pawel Janczyk, Business Partner Edouard Karnicki and their crew as they move from Tierra del Fuego to the Suez Canal, from the Baltic Sea to the Tropics. The RANGOON was in service in the 1930s and although giant container ships have changed life at sea today the RANGOON still steams on.

The exhibition is at 37PK Gallery, Platform voor Kunsten, Groot Heiligland 37, 2011 EP Haarlem NL, 3 June to 31 July 2022, Thursday - Sunday 13.00 - 17.00.