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Treasure 55: Punch
230 The first edition of the satirical magazine Punch was published on 17 July 1841. The title being derived from a conversation between the founders who claimed that - just as the alcoholic drink of the same name - the magazine would be nothing without Lemon (Punch's first editor was named Mark Lemon).
Despite a difficult start of low circulation figures, the success of the magazine was ensured with the decision to publish an annual edition, or Almanack. Copies of these soared and shortly after the magazine was taken over by the printing firm of Bradbury and Evans whereupon it entered its golden age.
Modern satirical magazines - such as Private Eye or the French publication Charlie Hebdo - often purposefully push the boundaries of good taste in order to land a searing political blow of maximum impact. In the Victorian age, Punch attempted to capture the mood of the public in tasteful, yet no-less provocative terms.
Punch frequently used illustrations to highlight contemporary problems in a stark visual manner. So much so in fact, that it can claim to have changed the English language in the process. The original definition of the word cartoon meant simply a preliminary drawing for a work of art - similar to "sketch" - with no additional meaning. However, the word took on the additional connotation of being applied to humour with the publication of Punch's 'Cartoon No.1 - Substance and Shadow'.
The enduring popularity of the magazine is in many ways, inextricably linked to its own downfall. With changing appetites for publications and satire, Punch desperately needed to keep re-inventing itself, but seen by many as a national institution, change was far from easy. Eventually the magazine succumbed to the pressure of low circulation and finally ceased publication in 2002, leaving behind 160 years of humour and wit.
Punch's lasting legacy is a snapshot of opinion on some key historic events from the preceding decades - notably including coronations, scandals, wars, budgets, coalitions and many other subjects high on the political agenda. Treasure 112: Political cartoons
333 This month we have chosen to exhibit a selection of the political cartoons held by Aberdeen City Libraries in light of the current political backdrop of our impending local elections and the recent invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union.
Flourishing in the middle of the 19th century, cartoons attracted the upper classes with their subversive meanings, and also illiterate people with their blatant caricature. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a set of various political cartoons. Those exhibited highlight how they were used as a way of denigrating politicians. Looking at a political cartoon can determine the cartoonist's opinion on a specific issue or event. Satirical drawings usually focus on contemporary political events, which can be taking place on a national scale or on a small scale.
Understanding a cartoon or a caricature relies on some knowledge of its context. Unfortunately, our loose sheets of cartoons were not kept with any additional documentation. As a result, it is not always easy to associate the cartoons with a specific event. Looking for information by using other resources, such as historical newspapers for example, can provide interesting leads. By the middle of the nineteenth century, more and more newspapers included political cartoons to express opinion on the politics of the day. In Great Britain, these satirical prints further developed through cartoonist's magazines, including the periodical Punch, exhibited as a library treasure in May 2016.
To see more examples of political cartoons, have a look at the Treasures from our Collections digital exhibition on the touch screens |