Of all the publications offering political and social satire, perhaps none is as well-known as the British magazine Punch. Founded in 1841, it survived until 1992. Punch offered readers a wealth of caricature that undoubtedly had them in stitches at the time. The only problem today is that, if you don't know what the cartoons or articles are lampooning, it's a bit hard to get the joke! This section looks at caricature not only in Punch and other Victorian publications, but across time thanks to a marvelous series that ran in Harper's Monthly in 1875 and 1876.

Caricature Among the Ancients (Harper's Monthly, 1875A)

Caricature in the Hogarthian Period (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

Caricature in the [American] Revolutionary Period (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

Caricatures of Women (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

Recent English Caricature (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

Recent French Caricature (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

Caricature in the United States (Harper's Monthly, 1876A)

Early Political Caricature in America, by Joseph B. Bishop (Century Magazine, 1892B)

Curiosities in Ancient Caricatures, by J. Holt Schooling (The Strand, 1898B)

A Peep into "Punch," Parts 1-6 by J. Holt Schooling (Strand, 1889A)

Founded in 1841, Punch was the original and quintessential magazine of social and political caricature and satire. This lengthy series (continued below) looks at the magazine's 113 issues between 1841 and 1897; this section covers 1841-1874.

A Peep into "Punch," Parts 7-12 by J. Holt Schooling (Strand, 1889B)

The continuation of the "Punch" series, covering the years 1875-1897, and Punch's Almanacks from 1842-1899.

War-Pictures in "Punch," 1841-1899, by J. Holt Schooling (The Strand, 1900A)

The German "Punch" (The Strand, 1901A)