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The History of "Punch" By: M. H. (Marion Harry) Spielmann (1858-1948) |
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by M. H. SPIELMANN With Numerous Illustrations Cassell and Company, Limited
London, Paris, & Melbourne
1895 All Rights Reserved
[Illustration: "THE MAHOGANY TREE." ( By Linley Sambourne. From "Punch's" Jubilee Number, by special
permission of Sir William Agnew, Bart., Owner of the original drawing. )
( See page 536. )]
TO MY SON PERCY EDWIN SPIELMANN
[Illustration: ( Drawn by George du Maurier. )]
PREFACE.
The prevailing idea of the origin and history of Punch has hitherto
rested mainly on three productions: the "Memories" of George Hodder,
"Mr. Punch's Origin and Career," and Mr. Joseph Hatton's delightful but
fragmentary papers, entitled "The True Story of Punch ." So far as the
last named is based upon the others, it is untrustworthy in its details;
but the statements founded on the writer's own knowledge and on the
documentary matter in his hands, as well as upon his intimacy with Mark
Lemon, possess a distinct and individual value, and I have not failed to
avail myself in the following pages of Mr. Hatton's courteous permission
to make such use of them as might be desirable. During the four years in which I have been engaged upon this book, my
correspondents have been numbered by hundreds. Hardly a man living whom
I suspected of having worked for Punch , but I have communicated with
him; scarce one but has afforded all the information within his
knowledge in response to my application. Editor and members of the
Punch Staff, past and present "outsiders," equally with those
belonging to "the Table" the relations and friends of such as are dead,
all have given their help, and have shown an interest in the work which
I hope the result may be thought to justify. All this mass of
material all the evidence, published and unpublished, that was adduced
in order to establish certain points and refute others had to be
carefully sifted and collated, contrary testimony weighed, and the truth
determined. Especially was this the case in dealing with the valuable
reminiscences imparted by Punch's earliest collaborators, still or
till lately living. Of undoubted contributors and their work, it may be
stated, more than two hundred and fifty are here dealt with. A further
number cheerfully submitted to cross examination on one or other of the
many subjects touched upon; and probably as many more were approached
with only negative results. My special thanks are due to Mrs. Chaplin, the daughter of the late Mr.
Ebenezer Landells, who unreservedly placed in my hands all the Punch
documents, legal and otherwise, accounts, and letters, concerning the
origin and early editorships of Punch , which have been preserved in
the family; and to Messrs. Bradbury and Agnew, who have supplemented
these with similar assistance, as well as with books of the Firm
establishing points of literary interest not hitherto suspected,
together with the letters of Thackeray which illustrate his early
connection with and final secession from the Staff. Apart from their
general interest, these documents, taken together, establish the facts
of such very vexed questions as the origin and the early editorships of
Punch . This is the more satisfactory, perhaps, by reason of the
numerous unfounded claims or founded chiefly on family tradition or
filial pride and affection which are still being made on behalf of
supposed originators of the Paper. Even these partisan historians, it is
believed, will hardly be able to resist the proofs here set forth;
although attested fact does not, with them, necessarily carry
conviction. For such services, and for their ready and sympathetic
acquiescence in the requests I have made for permission to quote text or
reproduce engraving, my hearty thanks to Messrs. Bradbury, Agnew and Co.
are due. To them and to all my numerous correspondents I here repeat the
assurance of gratitude for their courtesy which I have privately
expressed before. I have reproduced no more pictures from Punch than were rendered
necessary by the topics under discussion... Continue reading book >>
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Essay/Short nonfiction |
History |
Literature |
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