The founding of Punch magazines goes back to 1841. Famous for humour and satire, it became a weekly magazine selling 100k copies by 1910. Punch Magazine enjoyed a large audience including Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Charlotte Bronté, Robert Browning, and Emily Dickinson.
The iconic Punch cartoons have amused people for well over a hundred years.
I am privileged to own four original volumes (a gift from my Dad many years ago) published in 1906 and adorned by creative characterisations.
This particular illustration was published in 1906 and centred around Queen Victoria’s reign.
Much focus was on the political landscape where drawings of politicians together with a few comments generated much humour, a touch of irony, and sarcasm.
The sketch of an angel represents a quote from Queen Victoria: ‘From my heart, my beloved people. May God bless them.’
Having viewed two of the volumes today, I have to say they never cease to amaze me. Not just the graphics, but accompanying words and descriptions.
There is much information on Google should there be further interest.
Featured image courtesy of Richard Doyle (illustration), unspecified (colouring), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons