Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 99, October 4, 1890   By: Various

In Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 99, October 4, 1890, readers are treated to a delightful collection of satirical illustrations, witty commentary, and humorous essays that provide a glimpse into the social and political landscape of late 19th-century Britain. The magazine's signature blend of humor and insight is on full display in this volume, with topics ranging from current events and popular culture to the foibles of everyday life. The cartoons are particularly entertaining, offering a cheeky take on the issues of the day. Overall, this volume is a captivating and entertaining read that offers a unique window into the past.

First Page:

This age has been called an Age of Progress, an Age of Reform, an Age of Intellect, an Age of Shams; everything in fact except an Age of Prizes. And yet, it is perhaps as an Age of Prizes that it is destined to be chiefly remembered. The humble but frantic solver of Acrostics has had his turn, the correct expounder of the law of Hard Cases has by this time established a complete code of etiquette; the doll dresser, the epigram maker, the teller of witty stories, the calculator who can discover by an instinct the number of letters in a given page of print, all have displayed their ingenuity, and have been magnificently rewarded by prizes varying in value from the mere publication of their names, up to a policy of life insurance, or a completely furnished mansion in Peckham Rye. In fact, it has been calculated by competent actuaries that taking a generation at about thirty three years, and making every reasonable allowance for errors of postage, stoppage in transitu , fraudulent bankruptcies and unauthorised conversions, 120 per cent. of all persons alive in Great Britain and Ireland in any given day of twenty four hours, must have received a prize of some sort... Continue reading book >>